Roses & Moonlight
by Prestige Productions
Summary: Ruby Rose heads off to pay her respects to Summer's grave, however this time she's bringing a friend with her. Along the way, the pair find themselves discussing the meaning of being a Hunter, bad wrestling ideas, the meaning of life, and the possibilities of being more then good friends. Warning: OOC Cast and wrestling references galore
1. The Beginning

_**Hello again all I hope your day is going well, today I bring you the opening chapter of a story inspired and requested by longtime reviewer and a good friend Knight7572, it's going to be chock full of wrestling references, an Out of Character cast, and a little salt here and there. And seeing as this story picks up after the events of my first fic "Conversations" if you find yourself feeling a little lost, please refer to that.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth, otherwise wrestling would be known in Remnant. Bálor Moonlight belongs to me (although I am open to character collaborations), any other company or individual mentioned within belongs to their respective parent company.**_

 _ **Now with those out of the way I bring you: "The Beginning" or "Dalton Wants It Now, but Yang Wants Him Out"**_

 __Ruby Rose had always been able to roll with the punches, since coming to Beacon she had endured everything from a rocky initiation exam to trying to earn the respect of her partner, the wealthy and sometimes arrogant Weiss Schnee, to fighting harrowing battles with the creatures of Grimm and the dreaded White Fang: A group of extremely misguided Faunus whose goal was to win equality through force (even if it meant wiping out humanity just to do it.). She had not been alone through those many battles though, aside from the previously mentioned Weiss there was also the feline Faunus Blake Belladonna who despite formerly being a member of the White Fang had instead chosen to use her skills in service to the people as a Huntress, as well as her older sister Yang Xiao Long, a rather beautiful woman whose zest for life was only matched by her ferocity in the battlefield.

Together these four young women made up one of Beacon Academy's finest team of Huntresses, collectively known as Team RWBY, they had managed to foil the White Fang's hijacking of a Schnee Dust Company shipment, as well as thwart the renegade group's attempt at overrunning the city of Vale with Grimm (though the latter wasn't accomplished without help from both their friends and fellow instructors at Beacon.).

One would think that such monumental victories would bloat the ego, but the crimsonette haired reaper always managed to keep a level head and a cheeky smile as the days passed on.

That was until a certain day finally came around.

It was the anniversary of her mother's passing; the once talented Summer Rose who now lay buried on a snowy cliffside just north of a snowy forest, and every year the young Huntress ventured alone to pay her respects to the woman. However this year was a very different case as she had gotten it in her head to bring along a certain someone.

 _"Well, I hate to say it..but there's no conceivable way Yang will let me take him along without her, but three's a total crowd for this sort of thing."_ Ruby would be thinking this along with several other conflicting thoughts as she made her way over to the recently repaired amphitheatre, which was now blaring with loud rock music as the red hooded Huntress grinned in anticipation of what her friend was up to this time. She would make her way in to see Lie Ren and Jaune Arc arguing with a silver haired young man while waving about some rather gaudy costumes furiously.

"No way, I know we agreed to help you with this little pet project but I draw the line and dressing like some..some..some!" The blonde haired knight was clearly annoyed and flustered as he searched for the appropriate term to describe the costume he was holding in his hand.

"Slave boy." The raven haired gunslinger would mutter as he shook his head and tossed the costume back to the silver-haired young man in front of them before turning away and crossing his arms. "And there's no way I'm gonna do it either, I'd sooner dress up as a giant pancake and dance around for Nora before I do this!"

Ruby would sigh as she watched her wolf-eared friend argue his case for the costumes, shaking her head as both the men of Team JNPR walked off in a huff and leaving him in the lurch before speeding down to join him on the dais.

"I'm guessing your next big entrance isn't going to work out, is it Bálor? She would look up at the silver haired wolf Faunus and her friend Bálor Moonlight as he sighed in defeat before sitting down, he was a strange case: A self-professed, "self taught" Hunter, he had transferred to Beacon nearly half a year to the day and had managed to annoy the majority of the student body with his constant use of wrestling catchphrases, his ever changing attitude which could range from outright prickliness to boiling rage before landing on a sheepish smile. However he had managed to more or less adjust to life as a student (outside of a few destructive brawls between himself and various others) and had even managed to wrangle her sister Yang as a girlfriend, despite Ruby holding a bit of a candle for the wolf herself.

"It's not like I'm asking for much Rubes, just two guys to act as my "boys" when I make my entrance for the next sparring matches." He would cue up a video on his scroll and show it to her, a rather lanky looking wrestler by the name of Dalton Castle was making his way to the ring being accompanied by two servant boys who would then proceed to get down on the ground and become a human staircase for him to enter the ring. The crimsonette would balk as the "boys" then proceed to help Castle step out of his entrance attire before the video came to a stop.

"That's not only asking for too much, it's freaking weird." The crimsonette would stare at the costumes Jaune and Ren had rejected before shuddering and setting them back down next to the Faunus with a sad smile. "Why not just stick with the Bullet Club, that got a pretty wild reaction. Besides, that way I can wear the shirt you gave me and be one of your..very..few fan girls." She would trail off, remembering that her sister would probably be his boldest supporter and probably block Ruby from his view entirely.

The silver-haired Hunter would groan and throw his hands up in despair. "Believe me little Rose, I'd KILL to saunter down to the ring B.C. style and have you "too-sweet" me." He would pause to hold up the wolf ears in the heel faction's most famous hand gesture (one of 'em anyways.) and smirking as she returned it in kind. "But Goodwitch said if I so much as think about doing that again she'd have me in detention for the rest of the semester!" Bálor would sigh as he remembered the obnoxious entrance he made prior to beating down Team CRDL in a rather violent fashion, grinning proudly before letting himself leave the memory with a soul crushing sigh. "Besides, Yang isn't exactly being the most supportive Bullet Babe lately. I'm starting to think that our honeymoon phase is over and she's really getting annoyed at my fandom." The wolf would frown and stare at his Bullet Club inspired sneakers, complete with the heel faction's logo: A skull with two rifles in place of crossbones and four bullets going across either side of the back. Her heart would go out to him; partially because she understood what both sides were trying to accomplish as Bálor tried to get Yang to understand the magic he saw in those men who chose the path of professional wrestling while the blonde brawler was no doubt trying to get him to ditch the pseudo-sport and join her in the real world with neither side really relenting.

"I'm sorry things are going bad right now, maybe it'll turn around if you two sat down and talked with each other. Let her know how important this all is to you, after all you didn't really have any problems telling me back when we were roomies." Ruby would pat his shoulder gently as she tried to comfort him, debating on whether or not to use the lull in the conversation to ask him about joining her on her yearly outing to visit her dearly departed mother.

"Bálor..I…was wondering if maybe you wanted to…" Her hesitant speaking would be cut off as the main doors opened and students began filing into the amphitheatre for that day's sparring matches causing the cookie loving crimsonette to sigh sadly as her opportunity was squandered.

"Ruby! B! Up here!" Yang would holler down to the two of them, waving her arms about to get their attention while Weiss and Yang moved a couple seats down in order to give the two of them some room. Ruby would wave back happily as she made her way up the long staircase to join her team, unaware that her Faunus pal was far from enthused as he walked behind her shaking his head in quiet shame as felt the weight of yet another failed project.

The sparring matches passed without much fanfare as it was mostly some of the underclassman's first time getting their feet wet in the arena, it was interesting for the crimsonette as some of the students displayed some interesting weaponry. One student in particular had managed to make a pair of gauntlets that doubled as a Dust infused energy cannon, although an attempt to use said cannon had caused the amphitheatre to fill up with smoke and put an end to the proceedings as Goodwitch ordered everyone outside while the mess was dealt with.

"Honestly, who would be dumb enough to try and build repulsor cannons into a pair of gauntlets. We could've been killed!" Weiss would be tapping her foot impatiently as other students were busy talking amongst themselves, including those who were romantically involved trying to sneak off to find a quiet moment for themselves. This left Ruby out of the lurch as Weiss and Neptune were now debating upon whether said cannons were a menace, or just a super sweet idea implemented horribly.

"C'mon Weiss, you gotta admit that with a little rewiring those cannons would be awesome to watch in action." Neptune would try and demonstrate said awesomeness by mimicking a working cannon with his hands and some cheesy laser noises, he would be rewarded with an indignant huff from her partner who seemed even less thrilled with the idea after his theatrics. Ruby would giggle slightly as the azure haired young man continued to argue his case in vain while the heiress began to rant and rave about how dangerous such a weapon could be in the hands of the inexperienced and uneducated. The crimsonette haired Huntress would ponder upon the idea of modifying her precious Crescent Rose to include some kind of cannon, before shaking her head at the idea of further complicating its design any further.

 _"I suppose I could always build a second weapon just for a cannon. But wouldn't that be the same as saying Crescent Rose isn't good enough?_ " Ruby would pull at her hair in frustration at the thought of "insulting" her beloved scythe by adding a second weapon to her repertoire, fortunately her thoughts would be interrupted by the sounds of various people chanting "Fight". As she looked around the cookie loving Huntress would spot a crowd of students gathered in a circle cheering and hollering, desperate to see just what exactly was going on she would fight her way to the front by any means necessary.

"Move, move, excuse me- hey, watch where you're touching!" The crimsonette would be fuming by the time she made it through to see Cardin with his fists up as he stood across from a very annoyed Bálor, flashes of their last encounter playing through the reaper's mind as she suppressed a gasp.

 _"Crap, he's gonna do it again. Why the hell isn't Yang stopping this?!"_ The hooded Huntress would look around for any sign of her sister, finding her at the front with her arms crossed over her chest and a defiant scowl on her face as the wolf Faunus slipped a pair of headphones on over his human ears and bobbed his head calmly.

"You're worse then crazy Fido, you really think ignoring me's gonna help you?!" The arrogant chestnut haired man would charge at his silver haired opponent, growling as Bálor sidestepped his attack before bobbing his head once again. Cardin would try and press the assault with a side kick only for the wolf to block it with a swipe of his hand, not even bothering to counter as he gently shoved the arrogant Winchester aside, looking for some kind of an exit from the crowd and smiling once he saw Ruby watching him. She would've returned his smile but instead the Huntress would pull him into the crowd just as Cardin tried to hit the back of his head with a rock causing the crowd to boo loudly.

"Are you nuts, you could've-" She would pause upon seeing him bobbing his head slowly before gesturing for him to remove them, sighing as he did so with a happy smile. "You almost got the back of your head caved in and you didn't even know it!" Her silver eyes would burn with anger as the wolf finally realized what she had done for him, wiping imaginary sweat from his brow. "I guess I really owe you one little Rose, thanks." He would smile gratefully even as Yang shoved her way through the crowd and over to the pair.

"Have you learned your lesson now, cheap fights in front of a gaggle of morons isn't cool!" The circle of students would boo as she dragged the once smiling Bálor off with her back into the Academy, muttering about how he should quit idolizing "fake" fighting already.

"Wow, I haven't seen Yang that mad since that time I lost sleep obsessing over hunting down Torchwick and the White Fang." Blake would be standing beside her boyfriend Sun Wukong as the crowd dispersed upon realizing there would be no brawl today, the raven haired feline Faunus would glance over at her younger teammate with a calm expression in her eyes. "You know something about this don't you Ruby?" She would sigh and turn to Sun with an apologetic smile. "Can we take a rain check on that discussion we were having?"

The blonde haired Faunus would grin and slip her the smallest of kisses on her cheek before nodding. "Sure, it's not like anything else is gonna suddenly start exploding any time soon. Catch ya later Ruby." The younger Huntress would see her friend off with a wave before turning to her cat eared teammate with a sad frown. "Apparently, things are not as happy as they appeared to be when we accidentally walked in on the two of them making out last month." The two of them would pause, as if remembering the uncomfortable scene in question before going off to find a more private place to continue their discussion. Once they finally settled down under a shady tree away from prying eyes Blake would motion for Ruby to continue her story, knowing that their had to be some reason her partner had done a one-eighty in regards to the silver haired Faunus.

"Apparently Yang's really trying to get him out of his old habits: The anger, the fighting, and especially anything pertaining to wrestling. As you can probably tell, Bálor's not exactly taking it well, but to think he'd pick a fight with a Cardin, especially after what happened before?" The younger girl would shake her head as it seemed her friend was falling back into his old habits. "I guess it's no wonder Yang's so mad at him, she goes through all that hard work to get him to open up and here he is relapsing on her." Ruby would frown as she pictured Bálor returning to his former self: Isolated behind a wall of noise and eating sub sandwiches by himself in the courtyard while her friends debated about which of their boyfriends were superior before Yang would inevitably silence them both by pointing out her own power.

"He's not relapsing Ruby, it was Cardin and his boys who picked that fight and got everybody excited. I know because Sun and I saw the entire thing." The feline Faunus would sigh and look up into the green, leafy underbelly of the tree. "Yang didn't exactly do much to keep things from getting out of hand, much less keep him from getting trapped in that circle of fight crazy maniacs." Blake would sigh as she looked at the younger girl with a kind smile as she got to her feet and began to head back into the halls of Beacon, stopping to look back. "If it makes you feel any better, he never had any intention of fighting Cardin, That doesn't sound like a relapse to me now does it Ruby?" The feline would raise her hand and wave before walking off into the distance, leaving the crimsonette reaper relieved to know that her favorite wolf Faunus wasn't completely losing his marbles once again but also wondering just what the hell her sister was thinking. She and Yang had spent the better part of the last few months trying to get the once reclusive Faunus out of his shell and out into the world, and while she and the silver haired wolf had a few instances of a loving relationship at certain points in time it would be Yang who would come back in and steal the show and eventually his heart.

 _"Maybe I should just ask Yang to come with me, I'm sure Mom would like to know that she's doing well..with a new boyfriend."_ Ruby would sigh in exasperation as she stood up and headed back inside with the rest of the crowd, knowing that she would have to deal with her sister sooner or later, and she really didn't have time to wait for later.

Sounds of a loud argument could be heard from inside Team RWBY's dorm as Ruby made her way back with a box of cookies, only to be surprised to find Weiss and Blake sitting outside the door with a deck of cards and a sour look on their faces as the argument escalated to the point of objects being thrown and curses flying as the crimsonette took a seat alongside her friends. "So what're they going on about now, did Yang find out about the whole Dalton Castle idea?" She would stop short as both the heiress and the feline exchanged looks of confusion before shaking their heads. "Yang's not happy with the new, less aggressive version of her boyfriend." Weiss would mutter as she drew another card from the desk and winced at her hand as Blake grinned in anticipation of a win. "She claims he's lost the fire that she fell in love a while back, and while I kind of agree with her, she seems to have forgotten that she sort of HELPED to snuff out that fire by becoming a walking tween romance cliché." The feline would lay down her cards to reveal a Full House with the pale haired heiress groaning in acknowledgement at her loss. "I swear to Dust Blake, if you rigged this deck somehow I will make you pay." Weiss would then shuffle the deck as Ruby carefully learned closer to the door in order to listen in on the heated argument between Yang and Bálor, frowning when she heard nothing but silence on the other side.

 _"Wonder if they've finally calmed down."_ The crimsonette would slowly begin to reach for the doorknob when she felt a hand touch her should, she squeaked in surprise as she looked back to see Blake shaking her head quietly.

"Think of this like a tornado, this is the eye of the storm and while it sounds like things have calmed down the worst is yet to come." The raven haired Faunus would wince as something hit the other side of the door and shatter, causing her to sigh in annoyance. "Dammit, I just bought that lamp Yang!" She would receive a muffled but furious response from her partner before resuming the argument she was currently involved in with the wolf Faunus. Ruby would pout at the thought of her sister and friend bickering so soon after finally getting together romantically, sure it hurt to see the two of them together at times but in the end Yang was happy and that knowledge helped put her mind at ease. But after her earlier talk with Bálor and seeing the sullen and dulled look on his face as he spoke about his failure with the latest flashy introduction idea along with his disheartening views on his already degrading relationship with Yang. It did indeed look like some of the luster had gone out of him since finally committing himself both to Yang as a man, and a more docile life as a student at Beacon.

"Geez, I can kind of understand why my sister's furious now." The other two Huntresses would look over at her, surprised by Ruby's sudden observation. "When he got here Bálor was moody, always throwing himself headfirst into fights without even thinking, and cursed off Goodwitch without any fear of the consequences." The two of them would nod quietly while continuing their game of poker while the sounds of arguing only intensified to the point where the three of them could now hear it in earnest.

"I'm so fucking tired of your lame hand gestures and those stupid freaking clothes, why don't you just dress like a normal person and not some beer swilling meth head!" Yang would shout as loud stomping was heard behind the door. "Ohh you're one to talk about fucking wardrobes woman, when you're not in the Academy uniform you're traipsing around Vale flaunting it like you're single! Like I don't even exist!" Bálor was clearly furious as the sounds of something hitting the wall repeatedly before continuing to speak. "Honestly, I CHANGED myself for you Yang. Changed. Myself. FOR YOU!" The door to the dorm would open as the silver haired Hunter made his way outside, surprised to find the rest of the team sitting outside and taking a breath before forcing a smile on his face.

"Ladies…Schnee." Weiss would glare back at him as he carefully stepped over the card game in progress and made his way back to his own dorm while muttering obscenities to himself.

Ruby would sigh in exasperation as she made her way into the dorm room, gently closing the door behind her with a shake of her head. "You know sis, you really should try and take it easier on B..he really has sort of turned over a new leaf since you two started going steady." The blonde would furrow her brow in thought as she looked at the crack in the wall of their dorm room. "Really Rubes because that doesn't exactly scream "changed man" to me. And besides, if he really has turned over a new leaf then he would finally give up on that fucking pseudo-sport he loves so much." The crimsonette would frown as her older sibling's angered retort and while she didn't completely disagree with Yang's viewpoint, only Ruby could understand why the wolf was reluctant to give up his fascination with those titans who called the squared circle home. "Yang, you don't really expect him to just quit being who he is do you, I mean he certainly wouldn't demand that from you so why are you trying to do it with him?" She would look up at her sister with a puzzled expression, wondering what happened to the Yang that not too long ago promised Bálor she'd never let him fall back into darkness.

Three weeks and a few petty fights shouldn't be enough to destroy a relationship that had endured violence, solitary confinement, a coma, and Ruby's own aspirations for him on the way to a final commitment between the two.

Yang would sigh and run her hands through her golden mane with a frown before pacing the area of floor between the two bunk beds. "Ruby, you probably won't understand this until you get a boyfriend of your own, but relationships aren't just built on warm hugs and promises. They involve a compromise between two people that certain things that were once considered "cool" or "edgy" need to be toned back after a while, otherwise they turn into super annoying habits that just make you want to tear off the other person's face every time you see them!" The older Huntress would sigh and go the vanity mirror which had since been lined with pictures of the two of them together, incidentally the pictures would display the visual decline of their very shaky happiness: Smiling faces slowly became muted and forced, and what started with the two of them staying very close to one another became two people standing a distance apart while glancing sideways. "Believe me sis, if I could go back in time and warn myself that this was coming…" Yang would let her words hang in the air, not wanting to finish the sentence but knowing that her point had been made. Ruby would stare at the back of her sister's head, stunned that she had once again had decided to write off the silver haired Faunus without a moment's hesitation. This hadn't be the first time she had made this particular decision either: The first had been on the night of Beacon's inaugural Couple's Dance, and after a solid argument on the way to the ballroom the crimsonette had spurred her friend to take his chance and tell Yang what his feelings were. Instead he had enacted a lame duck speech that encouraged others to go after the person they loved while he made an escape back to his dorm room. Both sisters were hurt by this move and had spent the night dancing alongside others, with Yang in particular never spending more than one song with a particular partner before going after someone else. The second instance of this happening was in the midst of what had turned out to be a battle between the wolf and an unnamed assassin, Ruby had been busy waiting on a confrontation with her older sibling in which she would finally make her stand against her. What transpired instead upon the brawler's return was a rather mellow heart to heart between sisters that ended with Yang practically giving the go ahead for the younger girl to stake her claim upon the Faunus, although after they had gotten dragged into the battle it didn't take long for the blonde's overprotective instincts to negate by not only using her new Howling Dragon gauntlets to defeat the enemy but to once again emerge from the wreckage with a wounded Bálor in tow.

"You realize that this is the third time you're doing this Yang, there might not be another opportunity after this. I mean, there's only so many times a person can take being rejected-" Ruby would begin to argue her case against the blonde's decision until she was cut off by Yang smashing the mirror with her fist, graciously protected by the Howling Dragons before turning to face the startled crimsonette with her eyes blazing red. "Ruby, if you want to deal with that sack of catchphrase spouting deadweight then by all means take him!" She would stalk off in search of someone or something to vent her frustration on, leaving Ruby alone and perplexed before looking back at the date circled on her calendar with a frown.

 _"Damn, I was hoping that I could take him with me..but not like this."_

Ruby would soon find herself standing outside the door to Bálor's dorm, she looked over to a doodle of a chibi-fied wolf nestled in a bed of roses.

 _"I guess he misses me as a roommate, or maybe he just misses the company."_ The young Huntress would shake her sadly before knocking on the door, debating on whether or not to tell him about Yang's earlier outburst and what it meant for him.

"Yeah it's open!" He would growl in response from the other side of the door, something that further disheartened the crimsonette further before walking into his dorm room to find her friend staring at his open closet quietly, his body trembling with barely restrained anger as she watched him without making a sound. The last time she had seen him this angry was the day Cardin Winchester had taken his trash talking a step too far by saying that all Faunus were animals that belonged in a cage, the arrogant Hunter had paid the price for his hurtful words when the wolf Faunus let loose his telekinetic Semblance and beat Cardin unconscious with his own weapon. It would be some time later on that the cookie loving young woman learned of his painful past living with an alcoholic father and bearing the name of a legendary demon, and while she may have declared her love for the young man weeks prior it was that tear-filled admission of his past and the fear of becoming the monster that dear old dad wanted him to be that solidified her feelings towards him more than three little words could ever hope to match.

"I'm sorry that Yang said those things back at the dorm, I'm sure she'll take 'em back once she calms down." Ruby would choose her words carefully, knowing that if she were to jolt him with the details of Yang's latest rejection of their relationship that there was a good chance that he might snap once more, only this time there would be no instructors to restrain him before things got too bloody.

"Maybe, but I'm certainly not without blame on this one Ruby..I didn't mean to go that far with what I said. But it hurts when the person you love is amazing enough to catch the eye of every guy in the room." His shoulders slumped in defeat as he kicked off his sneakers, still not turning to face the silver eyed young woman. "She promised that she would never let me fall back into the darkness, but every time we go somewhere together it's all eyes on Yang while I get shuffled into the background. Into the dark while she shines in the spotlight."

Ruby's heart ached for him as she watched Bálor start pulling things from his closet, she wanted nothing more than to comfort her dear friend and remind him that she too was capable of keeping him from drowning in the dark depths of despair. Sure she didn't have her sister's social confidence, and outside of the battlefield and times spent with dear friends she wanted nothing more then to spend a quiet evening in her dorm room polishing and maintaining her dear Crescent Rose while pondering what other sorts of weapons were out there in the world of Remnant just waiting for her to discover them and say hello. But she also treasured her friendship with the wolf Faunus, who shared with her the secret of the "too sweet" hand gesture that strangely resembled a wolf with its ears pointed up, the friend who had given her a place to stay when Weiss had overstepped her boundaries by attaching an ankle monitor to the crimsonette as she slept. The man who had given her his most prized possession in his wardrobe of wrestling related t-shirts: A Bullet Club shirt that had been autographed by every member of the renegade group, stating that even though it was indeed valuable (to him at least) its value paled in comparison to their bond. Since then she had made a point to wear it every time sparring sessions were held in the amphitheatre, ready to cheer Bálor onto a victory whenever he fought and even though her sister soon mimicked the gesture once they became a couple it didn't deter the crimsonette from wearing her hood and trying her hardest to make sure he saw that special shirt adorn her small frame by waving her oversized sleeves all about.

"Maybe Yang's right…Maybe I oughta just pack it up and dress like everyone else. After all, this stuff belonged to the old me..the violent me." Ruby could take no more as she watched him prepare to tear one of his precious t-shirts and in a burst of roses she would snatch it away before staring up at Bálor defiantly, instead pulling out one of his travel bags and carefully setting it inside.

"No, you don't need to change yourself for anyone. I like the Bálor I see in front of me: This is the Bálor who helped me discover Cookie World, paid for every type of cookie I thought I could carry out with me, and when that didn't work you stole a forklift from a construction site and drove it back with me to Beacon!" She would stop to wipe away a few stray tears before continuing to speak, even as her voice threatened to break. "Do you use a lot of wrestling slang out in the real world, absolutely! But only because you have the kind of passion and respect for those people and everything they do that you would put your life on the line to become a Hunter, so that maybe someday someone else could see the same magic in them that you do!" Ruby would start pulling more clothes and packing them away, using the distraction to keep him from seeing the tears slowly falling from her eyes as she continued on. "If that Bálor were to disappear then who would I root in the sparring matches?" The wolf Faunus would watch the red hooded crimsonette packing a bag for him, darting into his washroom to grab the essentials before returning to his wardrobe and continuing there.

"Well..there's always your sister, your fellow teammates, everybody in Team JNPR, Sun, Neptune." Bálor would sigh and stop her as she was preparing to start adding in socks to the nearly overstuffed travel bag. "Honey, it's not like I'm going away or anything. I'll still be around, I'm just going to do the right thing and start becoming the kind of person Yang can be proud of. Definitely not worth packing a bag for, why are you packing a travel bag for me anyhow? Goodwitch finally find a way to have me expelled?" Ruby would shake her head and sigh, knowing that she had to tell him at some point.

"No, she's still in the library looking for legal loopholes to go over Professor Ozpin's head." The cookie loving Huntress would hesitate, staring down at her feet before bravely pressing forward. "I was actually getting ready to go on a trip to go visit my mother, and I was hoping that..maybe you wanted to come with me?" She would look into his amber eyes, seeing her nervous reflection staring back at her from within them.

"Honey, I-I'm flattered but..shouldn't this be a trip that you and Yang take together? I mean she's your family, and I'm just a stranger." He would start reaching into the straining travel pack to start removing things she had set in when she placed a hand on his shoulder and gently tilt his chin to face her before planting a gentle kiss upon his lips.

"You're as much a part of my family as Yang, or Blake, or Weiss. I think Mom would be happy to meet you Bálor, that is..if you want to." Ruby would step back and watch the surprised Faunus boy mulling over his options as well as the kiss she had given him, it wasn't the first time she had made such a bold move with him either, just the most recent.

"Well, I guess it would be rude to not meet my best friend's mother. After all , just because my folks aren't around doesn't mean I can ignore everyone else's parents now does it?" Bálor would smile despite the slight blush that colored his cheeks, it had been far too long since the crimsonette had seen it and it proved a most welcome sight to her teary eyes. "But Dust help me Rubes, we're gonna have to talk about that kiss you just planted on me while we're traveling to..wherever it is we're headed." The silver haired Hunter would then resume packing his travel bag, picking up where he had stopped her by packing away some socks in one of the few pockets that wasn't already stuffed with clothing or other sundries. Ruby would smile quietly as she picked out his favorite monochrome sneakers, they were weathered, beaten, and scuffed but she knew him well enough that he wouldn't dare step foot outside Beacon without them.

 _"They remind me of Bálor: weathered down by life's hardships but still dependable enough to lead the way forward no matter how ugly things get."_ The crimsonette would look over at her friend, the brave wolf who had spent years scratching and clawing for some shred of acceptance from others through his strength and felt proud to know him. She knew what it meant to struggle for acceptance from people who had it differently then they did, and while Weiss had eventually came to accept her as RWBY's leader, Bálor was still struggling to gain a tenth of that even as Yang looked to strip away that passion that made him special to her.

 _"Don't ever change Bálor, even if all of Remnant wants to boo you out of the building. I'll be there for you, cheering my heart out."_ She would think those words as she handed over his sneakers, holding them close to her heart as he slung his bag over his shoulder with a confident smirk.

"Alright little Rose, let's get this show on the road."

 _ **Okay, okay put DOWN the torches and pitchforks! Yes I know I'm going to get an earful of "Mary-Sue" and "Harem" complaints and yes Bálor is a bit of an M.S. but those who read Conversations already knew that, as for the "Harem" issue. I don't believe in one man getting ALL the women, outside of smut that never seems realistic, for those of us who've been in a relationship our partner's habits can sometimes grow to be annoying (especially if they're used constantly) and Yang is the kind of girl who never likes to stay docile for too long, she said it herself: She's a thrillseeker who likes to get wrapped up in as many crazy adventures as possible, and the new, less violent and cocky Bálor wouldn't exactly fit that bill. So unfortunately it had to break down. I'm not guaranteeing it'll stay broken, but right now that's where the pieces stand.**_

 _ **For now, feel free to review or PM. I'm open to requests so drop me a line.**_


	2. Railway into the Past

_**Well folks, here's the second part of a request-fic given to me by my dear friend Knight. Hope you enjoy it as much as he will.**_

 _ **Disclaimers: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth, otherwise these visits to Summer's grave would be a thing. Bálor Moolight belongs to me, and any other persons or organizations mentioned within belong to their respective parent company.**_

 _ **With that I bring to you Chapter 2: "Railway to the Past" or "Throw Vaudeville on the Train"**_

Ruby couldn't stop smiling as she and Bálor made their way off of Beacon Academy's grounds after some hastily given goodbyes to friends and promises to return from their journey with gifts aplenty, the red hooded girl and the silver haired Faunus were on their way to that lonely cliffside altar covered in snow. But even the thought of standing before her mother's grave wasn't enough to deter the crimsonette haired Huntress's good spirits as the duo made their way into Vale's train station, a sight which confused her Faunus companion greatly as they looked around at the crowd of individuals making their way over to different platforms or up to the ticket desk to purchase tickets for the trip.

"So, here's what I don't get: We've managed to create fantastic weapons from Dust, a nearly fully automated police force, airships, and giant mechs. But we still have to take a goddamn train to get to where your mother lives?" Bálor would shake his head as they slowly inched their way towards the front of the ticket window. Ruby would grin and gently squeeze his hand and smile happily as the line crept every closer to the front. "Well yeah, I mean it would be faster to take an airship but umm..the place where my mom is isn't exactly landing pad friendly." The amber eyed Faunus would raise an eyebrow curiously, not sure how to deal with the vague answer he had been given, the employee at the ticket window would smile as they made their way to the counter.

"Hello, and welcome to Vale Station Railways, how may I help you today?" The crimsonette would smile politely as her friend waited patiently behind her, glancing around the area as if he expected to be attacked.

"We need two tickets to the Northern Mountain station, passenger class please." Ruby would go digging through her pockets for the lien needed before the wolf Faunus laid a hand on her shoulder, shaking his head vigorously. "Sorry Rubes, ain't no way I'm traveling passenger class after the last time: I ended watching two old timey strongmen juggle chickens and sing off-color racist jingles for countless hours, it was madness..not because of their absurdly hairy chests or their clearly vile song lyrics. It was the chickens…staring at me, staring at me with their cold dead eyes. Mocking me!" Bálor would be breathing heavily as his eyes bugged out wildly, hearing the clucking in the back of his mind. The ticket clerk would lean down to the crimsonette with a concerned frown as the silver haired young man looked around wildly, his left eye occasionally twitching. "Umm, Miss is your friend okay? Should we be calling the authorities?" The crimsonette would simply shake her head, taking advantage of his distraction to pick his pocket and rifle through his wallet for the lien necessary to get them cushier accommodations. "On second thought, make that first class and for the love of Dust make sure the dessert cart is primarily cookies!" The ticket clerk would nod slowly, not sure what to make of the young woman's request involving the desert cart but seeing as she had the money and he wanted to avoid making a scene he produced their tickets and handed them over to the impatient crimsonette who proceeded to take them with a grateful yet exasperated smile.

"C'mon Bálor, let's get going already." Ruby would grab the wolf Faunus by the arm and start leading him off to go find their platform, he would grin as the other people nearby watched them pass by, making sure to give the pair a wide berth less they instigate some other weird outburst. "You mind telling me what that was all about by the way, there's no way you really met two racist, old timey strongman chicken jugglers did you?" Bálor would look down at the crimsonette girl with a wink before grinning sheepishly. "Not a chance, I was just thinking that if I couldn't make any more flashy entrances then maybe I can work a new gimmick: Traumatized train passenger." The amber eyed wrestling enthusiast would look to her for some sign of approval, however her steely eyed glare would serve to dash such hopes. "Wow, that bad huh?" The wolf Faunus would pull out a folded up piece of paper, followed by a pen before proceeding to cross the phrase "Lunatic Passenger" off of a long list of other things before returning the items to his pocket with an embarrassed blush. "I'm sorry Ruby; I just..this whole thing between me and Yang has got me feeling completely pent up creatively. I swear if it's not Goodwitch threatening to screw me over academically then it's your sister trying to drop the ban hammer on me as an individual." The silver eyed Huntress would glance up at him from the corner of her eye, feeling a pang of sympathy for her friend's dampened spirits as he started to reach for his headphones to drown out the noise of the train station she recalled such an incident happening after a rather intense sparring match.

The amphitheatre of Beacon Academy was roaring loudly with the sounds of the student body cheering loudly as Bálor made the usual grand entrance down to the dais as [Q]brick's "Shot 'em" blared over the loudspeakers, it was the third time that he had been able to do this and yet that didn't keep him from grinning as he made his way down giving the "too sweet" to those who enjoyed it.

Including a very eager Ruby Rose who damn near bowled over her own partner just to make sure she got hers, laughing happily as his fingers made contact with hers the crimsonette would make her way back to her seat, smiling apologetically to her annoyed partner.

"I can't believe you Ruby, I honestly thought you'd be mature enough to not lose your brains every time that dolt decides to act like a crazed idiot." Weiss would cross her arms stubbornly as the loud music finally faded out. "We're in a prestigious academy, not some seedy, busted up bingo hall." The heiress would look down at the dais where the wolf Faunus's opponent stood across from him, Team JNPR's ace and one of Vytal's best fighters: Pyrrha Nikos.

"While I don't entirely agree with Weiss on most things, he really should be taking this fight more seriously considering who his opponent is." Blake would watch as the two combatants got into their respective fighting stances, raising an eyebrow at the wolf's choice to fight barehanded. "Hey Yang, didn't you say you were going to help Bálor create a new weapon? He is aware that these aren't just ordinary sparring matches right, they count towards qualifying to compete in the Vytal Festival this year." The blonde brawler would growl quietly as she watched her silver haired prince circle around the red-headed spear maiden cautiously before moving in to throw a few jabs that were easily parried by Pyrrha's shield. "I tried all this week to get him to set aside some time for us to get together and discuss weapon ideas, but that pigheaded dork insisted on making sure that the lighting in this place was good enough for his grand entrance." Yang would barely flinch as the wolf Faunus tried his best to block Pyrrha's attacks, not even bothering to wince in sympathy as he shouted in pain as her shield collided with his forearm rather harshly.

"Come on Bálor, it's okay to use your Semblance now! It's actually the only weapon you've got at this point!" Ruby would holler as she rose from her seat, hoping that the little bit of encouragement she could give would be enough for her Faunus friend to try and defend himself.

"I doubt even that'll help him, Pyrrha's not so foolish as to let herself be beaten by a skill she's already seen in action before." Weiss would say coldly even as she glanced away from the fight to watch her partner continue to cheer on the silver-haired deviant below them, the heiress still couldn't understand what it was that attracted the sisters to the wolf Faunus. He was crass, had a mouth that only sailors would love, and his knowledge of the world around him seem limited to cringe worthy catchphrases used by muscle bound mongrels. And yet he had managed to keep the two siblings competing over him for the better part of months.

"Noooo!" Ruby would shriek as Bálor had barely managed to avoid being hit by Pyrrha's spear, his aura level was barely holding above red even as he appeared to be breathing heavily. "Come on, you NEED to fight back Bálor!" The crimsonette would be teetering upon the brink of tears as she watched the wolf slipping to a knee as the red-headed spear maiden was charging in for what she suspected was a final attack.

"This match is over, the winner: Pyrrha Nikos." Goodwitch would announce as she tried to hide the glee in her voice at the sight of her perpetual wolf-shaped thorn having been defeated by one of Beacon's brightest stars, watching curiously as the defeated Faunus stood up slowly and held out his hand in a rare gesture of respect. "Well, perhaps he's learned his lesson after all." The older Huntress would quickly be proven wrong as Bálor pulled away his outstretched hand and proceeded to point towards his crotch in a mocking fashion before mouthing the words "Suck it." The crowd would gasp audibly as the silver haired Faunus sauntered off the dais, Yang would be visibly angered to the point of her golden mane beginning to glow, and even Ruby who was the only person there to understand the wrestling related relevance of the gesture would facepalm in embarrassment.

"That's it Mister Moonlight, Detention for the remainder of the week, and don't even THINK about leaving your room this weekend!" Goodwitch was incensed at the young man's actions both as an instructor and a woman, but thanks to Ozpin's constant shielding of the wolf there was little she could actually do to punish him.

Yang Xiao Long on the other hand, had no such limits.

"What in the name of Dust were you thinking B?!" The blonde brawler would slam the silver haired Faunus against the wall of Team RWBY's dorm, her teammates all hesitating on whether on not it was truly worth stopping her as she literally lifted him off the ground with barely any effort. "Pyrrha is a good friend of ours and you know that, yet you had to be an obnoxious asshole and do another one of your stupid wrestling jokes that NOBODY HERE CARES ABOUT!"

Ruby would be ready to step forward in defense of the besieged wolf but one cold stare from Weiss would cause her to hesitate, forced to watch on as the amber eyed Faunus struggled to laugh.

"Just…trying..to be a good heel." He would struggle for breath even as the angry Huntress's grip tightened against his neck in response to his reasoning. "We..live..for the boos!"

Yang would snarl as her eyes turned red in response to her mounting rage, contemplating throwing him out the window before looking up at his face, which was now turning a slight shade of blue at the lack of oxygen and letting him go with a frustrated sigh.

"Dammit Bálor, this is not one of your stupid pseudo-sporting events, this is the real world and bullshit immature garbage like that makes you look like a narrow minded asshole, not to mention what it'll do to me for being associated with you!"

Ruby would watch on sadly as Bálor glared up at her older sister with a look that mixed disgust with some level of hatred, before he stood up and opened the door and slamming it behind him as he stormed off angrily.

"Yang, I think you might have gone too far, I mean it's not just all about your reputation-"

Weiss would look at the crimsonette in shock as she was clearly trying to defend her unrequited love interest. "Ruby! I can't believe you would actually condone what he did!"

The younger girl would shake her head vigorously as all eyes were suddenly on her.

"N-no, I don't think he was right to do what he did but that's not the-" Blake would stand up quietly and leave the room, cutting any chance that Ruby had at saving herself that moment with a slam of the door. "Look, all I'm saying is that Yang went too far in blaming Bálor and only worrying about a damaged reputation." The heiress would shake her head in shame at the red hooded girl's continued attempts at defending the silver haired misogynist as she stood up and made her way for the door. "Ruby, I understand that you still have some unresolved feelings towards your little pet wolf, but I'm with Yang on this one: I'd be absolutely appalled to be the girlfriend of someone who thinks crude antics like that one are what passes as entertainment, and if I were in her shoes I'd think long and hard about whether that kind of social black mark is worth a few butterflies in the stomach." With those last parting words, Weiss would close the door behind her, leaving behind a very incensed Yang alone with a very disheartened Ruby. The two sisters would calmly face one another, their conflicting viewpoints towards the silver haired Faunus's actions would serve to remind the sisters of the proverbial "elephant in the room.".

"Dammit Ruby, not even you can be that blind as to back Bálor after the stunt he just pulled." The blonde would watch her younger sibling closely, seeing the crimsonette's gaze wavering between defiance and support was an unusual sight from someone whose goal was to be a hero and bring peace to the world. Yet, Ruby would stare right back into her older sister's lilac eyes with a staunch determination that had been an increasingly common sight when they weren't busy fighting the creatures of Grimm.

"Of course I don't agree with what he did, sure it was classless, and obscene, and very rude. But if you knew the things I did, if you knew WHY he idolizes these Bullet Club guys and copies the things they do, then maybe you would understand that it's a part of who he is as a person!" The silver eyed reaper would leave the dorm room appearing much calmer then she felt, it was a rare thing for the two of them to argue as being family and a part of the same four person Team gave them an impeccable bond. But the wolf Faunus would serve as an unknowing wedge between them as they had taken different paths towards him: Yang had gone in with a boatload of confidence, getting his attention by pranking him with her "Ice Bucket Challenge" and eventually coming to terms with her own views on committing herself to one man. However Ruby's first encounters with the Bullet Club loving Bálor went back further then her sibling's: she had spotted him the first day of his tenure sitting alone on the courtyard, but rather then looking confused and somewhat disoriented by his new surroundings (Much like she herself was upon first arriving there, although Yang leaving her in the lurch didn't help much either.) he was content to sit alone in his sunny patch of grass and wile away the hours. It wasn't until the incident at Schnee Subs where the two would interact directly, and even then he remained as cool as a cucumber while she was on a cookie rampage. Since that day the two of them had often found themselves drawn to one another, even as Yang stalked him like a lioness hunting a gazelle.

Always coming close to becoming something besides friends, they had already kissed twice before, and had even shared a dorm room together which was something normal couples wouldn't even contemplate until they were well out of school and sure of their relationship. Yet he had welcomed her without a moment's hesitation, even as he ran from Yang's seemingly unstoppable momentum he would always find a place for the cookie loving Huntress.

They were two very different sides of the same coin, different in terms of battle style and personality: Ruby preferred a fast paced approach but left plenty of room to adjust her plan on the fly, and was one of the warmest, kindest soul that could bring a smile from almost everyone. Bálor used brute force and pinpoint precision to leave his enemies a bloodied mess, while choosing to keep quiet until something or someone provoked him into action.

On paper, theirs was a bond that was doomed to fall apart due to the sheer polarity of it all but they were always an eyelash away from crossing that invisible line.

"Hey Ruby, I think this is our train." Bálor's voice would snap the crimsonette haired reaper from her reverie, looking around to find herself standing on a crowded platform with the amber eyed Faunus looking down at her curiously. "Yo Rubes, you still with me here hun?"

She could feel herself blushing at his use of the word "hun", coming from any other guy it would either come off as slightly obnoxious to somewhat creepy depending on how well she knew the person in question. But seeing as it was coming from a dear friend and love interest, she could feel her heart skip a beat before nodding quickly.

"Y-yeah, I'm..with you. Just kinda got lost in my imagination there for a bit is all." The young woman would laugh nervously before presenting her ticket to the suited individual standing by the train car door and scrambling inside to quickly hide her increasing blush, leaving the wolf Faunus at a loss for her strange behavior before presenting his own ticket and walking inside calmly as he looked around in search of his precious little Rose.

"Hey yo, Ruby. Sound off will ya, I'm getting lost down here!" The silver haired young man would politely try and sidestep past the more well dressed (but not always well mannered) passengers, ignoring the icy stares of the pompous blue bloods in his path.

"I'm down here Bálor, and you won't believe the lack of cookies they have on their dessert cart! It's enough to drive a girl nuts!" The crimsonette's words would be enough to send him barreling through the crowd, knowing that no matter how much he paid off or who he paid it to they would both be in for some serious jail time if Ruby went ballistic.

 _"Please God, let her be joking..for DUST'S SAKE LET HER BE JOKING!"_ Panicked thoughts such as that one would be at the front of the amber eyed young man's mind as he made his way towards the private first class accommodations, only for his friend to be waiting there for him with a cheery smile and a bowl of strawberries.

"Boy am I glad they keep fresh strawberries in stock, aside from cookies they're my absolute favorite kind of treat." Ruby would see the distresses look on his face and her smile would waver slightly. "Oh no..you're not allergic are you, I-I could always get us something else. Maybe something a little fancier, you know like the kind of stuff Weiss would eat if she were here with us."

Bálor would stare at her, stunned that despite the complete lack of cookies, being surrounded by society's upper-class douche bags, and being forced to reside in somewhat close quarters, her first concern was for his health and comfort.

She was either going above and beyond the bounds of what normal friends would do, or else she really had no memory of what had occurred the last time she had been denied cookies. And the latter seemed quite improbable considering how well she remembered Cookie World.

"No Rubes, strawberries..strawberries sound wonderful right about now." He would smile gratefully, sliding open the door to their cabin and gently patting the reaper's hair as he sat down in the nearest seat without even bothering to stow their gear as he did.

 _"I'm just glad things won't end up going ass backwards this time."_ The wolf Faunus would grin as she sat down next to him, both of them letting out a startled yelp as the train lurched into motion.

"Ya know, after having done this twice already I thought I'd be used to this train and its surprise start ups." She would sigh and plop a strawberry in her mouth, savoring the wonderful flavor within. "But I'm glad it's not just me this year." The crimsonette would look over at her wolf eared companion who was currently checking DustTube for more wrestling ideas.

"Holy crap, there really is an old timey gimmick..with a strongman to boot!" Ruby would point out a video that showed the debut of a developmental tag team duo known as "The Vaudevillains". "Click on it, Click on it, click on it!" Bálor would nod slowly, surprised at her hyperactive reaction to the discovery before clicking on it and watching the two vintage wrestlers make their way to the ring. The tag team of Aiden English (who was the team's mouthpiece and de facto high flyer) and Simon Gotch (The aforementioned strongman) made short work of their opponents, but not before displaying a wealth of offense from an age left far behind by the current time's more charismatic and high flying individuals.

"Okay..there's no way Goodwitch could suspend me with an entrance this bland, but I doubt I can actually get anybody in Beacon not to look at me like I was nuts either." The silver haired Hunter would shake his head bitterly as he began his search anew, but again it would be Ruby who would stop him in his tracks once more by placing her hand over his as she smiled.

"This Vaudevillain thing could work, you just need a partner to work it with you right?" The crimsonette would smile mischievously as realization dawned upon the amber eyed Faunus who would hold up his free hand, shaking his head vigorously.

"No no no no nonononononono, Ruby there's no way I'm gonna let you put your shot at being a Huntress on the line just so you can help me! Besides, Goodwitch wants to kick me out..you're still in spectacular standing with that harpy."

But her grin would simply widen in response to his stubborn refusal. "Think about it, I can be the mouthy high flying acrobat while you can be my hearty strongman..without the mustache."

The wolf Faunus would blush in embarrassment at her assessment about his lack of facial hair. "I-I could grow a mustache if I damn well wanted to woman! …I just really don't want to."

The red hooded Huntress would giggle at his reddening face before plopping a strawberry into his mouth and grinning as he began to chew on the fruit with a disgruntled pout while crossing his arms indignantly.

"C'mon, you know we would be great as an old timey act." She would snap her fingers suddenly, her silver eyes lighting up at the spark of an idea. "Oooh, we could get my dog Zwei to come with us as we make our entrance. Oh we could dress him up in a little outfit and have him do tricks!"

As the crimsonette continued to list off various ideas for their vaudeville inspired theatrics, Bálor would look out the window of the train with a mixture of anticipation and worry at their upcoming shared debut.

 _"Great, my best friend actually WANTS in on the insanity while my girlfriend would rather I go be a super stale dumbass, and then turn around and lose her marbles once I do!"_ He would look back at Ruby who was now jotting down ideas onto her scroll, finding it very hard not to smile at her enthusiasm and zeal for making their gimmick perfect. The train's whistle would sound proudly as they passed through the tunnel leading them into the northern mountains, he had no idea what to expect from the matriarch of the Rose family but if mother was anything like daughter then maybe this trip would be more fun then even he anticipated.

 _ **Well, I guess even the oddest of gimmicks could serve to bring two people closer, I mean seriously: The Vaudevillains themselves started off as a gag three months ago and now they're challenging for the NXT Tag Team Championship in two weeks at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn, just goes to showthat anything's possibly in between the ropes as well as in life.**_

 _ **Feel free to leave reviews or suggestions for story ideas, seriously I'll field anything except lemons involving Zwei.**_

 _ **Because that's just too weird**_


	3. Flush Away Doubt

_**Okay, Seriously, dealing with depression and anger problems as well as the start of my second attempt at college has stalled things entirely, so sorry if this chapter isn't up to snuff.**_

 _ **Then again, maybe I'm not sorry. Re-reading those reviews for Peaches got my blood boiling again**_

 _ **Disclaimer: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth, and thank God it does because I really don't need that kind of pressure right now. Bálor Moonlight is mine, mary-sue gimmick and all. Don't like it? Then go read Asura Boss's "Thorns of a Rose", a much superior albeit way more gritty fic**_

 _ **Any other individuals, groups, or entities mentioned within belong to their respective parent companies.**_

 _ **Without any further ado here's chapter 3: Flush Away Doubt or Fire the Writer and bring back Vince Russo!**_

Yang would be sulking about in the RWBY dorm (or what was left of it) as she stared up at the ceiling with a dissatisfied look on her face as she thought back to her earlier argument with Bálor, the blonde wondered if losing her cool once again was the right idea: after all it was Cardin who insisted that the two of them fight, and Bálor had decided to deal with the situation without bloodshed, the same way he had promised her to do on their first night together as a couple. It should have filled the golden maned brawler with pride that the normally violent wolf Faunus was making an honest to Dust effort to change for her sake, yet at that moment she had felt nothing but disgust as it appeared that her silver haired prince was slowly going dull.

Dull was boring. Dull meant being rooted to one place, stuck in a mindless routine that would drive her mad over time, and even if she loved him now the monotony would turn the blaze of passion into a pyre of hatred.

Or did she already hate him?

"Dammit, I don't understand what's happening with us anymore!" Yang would look towards the remains of her vanity mirror, shards of glass covered most of the desk and what she hoped were also the photos of them underneath even as the lights surrounding the mirror glowed dimly. "Maybe I should just go talk to him, try and understand things from his point of view." The brawler would exit the dorm room, intent on beginning to mend fences with the wolf Faunus who had once had her at a sort of cold war with her baby sister. But in the end she had won the day when he had decided to be hers, sure it had left Ruby defeated but she would bounce back with even more spunk then ever before.

That was just the way her crimsonette haired sibling functioned, nothing ever dampened her spirits, nothing ever shattered that rosy smile.

 _"Okay, I'll just make my peace with B and then maybe I can get back to work on getting him to quit that crap-"_ The meticulous planning that had been flowing through Yang's mind had ground to a halt as she saw the chibi-wolf illustration by his door, seeing the doodle set off a flurry of emotions in the normally lackadaisical Huntress as the little creature nestled peacefully within the bed of roses made her feel like she had taken a brutal shot to the gut by an Atlesian Paladin, it was a pain she had experienced once already and she had tanked it for the most part.

But this? This was an insult to everything she had gone through as a woman, and if there was one thing she made sure to drill into her friends and enemies alike (besides not messing with her perf golden mane.) it was to never insult Yang Xiao Long!

"Son of a bitch!" The brawler snarled as she laid her fist through the wall where the drawing that incited her hatred once lay, the cursing and the noise involved in that poor doodle's destruction brought out many a curious onlooker but the many eyes watching her would be the least of her concerns as she pulled her hand free from the hole her rage had enabled her to make.

"After everything I did to make that bastard feel welcome, everything I had to put up with just to show him that he would be safe here, I even gave that fucker my Heart and this is how that ungrateful cur repays me!" Yang would finally feel the weight of many gazes upon her and respond with an icy glare of her own before kicking the door and looking around her (definitely) now ex-boyfriend's room as her sight blurred slightly, the room looked like most dorm rooms at Beacon with the exception of his being more vast on a count of his lack of a team.

"Ozpin's definitely making sure his favorite pet is being well looked after, NOT THAT HE FUCKING DESERVES IT!" The brawler's mane was now a burning flame of hatred as she prowled around the wolf Faunus's room, his desk lined with pictures of himself with the members of RWBY: Of course there were his copies of the two of them together, as she saw the disintegration of their relationship once again as they separated with one word being written underneath the most recent one

"Why?"

 _"He wants to know 'why'?! Because you're holding a candle for my baby sister you dick!"_ As if to confirm her own rage-fueled theory, pictures of himself with the crimsonette would be lined up in a row near his sketch pad. Unlike the previous photos of herself and the silver haired backstabber, Ruby and Bálor often shared the spotlight together: Whether it was Ruby standing behind a painted up Bálor as he knelt down in preparation for his now obnoxious Bullet Club inspired entrance, or the wolf holding up a cookie as her sister struggled to reach up and grab it with an adorable pout on her face. Each of the framed pictures was like a dagger to the heart, and no matter how strong her Semblance made her feel when she took a hit from an enemy there was no conceivable way she could tank this kind of pain.

"Why..? Why did you even pick me, if this was what you truly felt in the depths of your heart?" Those were the last words she let herself say before she let the anger that had been brewing within her loose, the golden maned Huntress would lay waste to the young man's private sanctuary without a care for the ruckus she was causing.

Those who were smart enough knew best to stay away, as for those who didn't..well they would eventually know a modicum of the agony she felt when the brawler was through pummeling them.

"Attention all passengers, we are now arriving at the Northern Mountain Station. I repeat, we are now arriving at the Northern Mountain Station. Please remember your belongings as you exit the train, and thank you for riding Vale Station Railways." The monotone announcement was a welcome sound to the exhausted pair of travelers as Ruby and Bálor gathered their travel bags as they made their way to the nearest door outside.

"Gah, is the train ride always this long?" The silver haired Faunus would slowly trudge his way off the train, turning to offer a hand to help the crimsonette make her way off onto the platform even as he shivered against the cold mountain air. "Seriously Rubes, how do you do make this trip?" The silver eyed young woman would giggle before cuddling up to him grateful for what little warmth he could give. "Well, I usually go by myself every year..all that alone time tends to help me zone out, now come on we've still got a whole other journey to make." The red hooded Huntress would scurry along as she made her way into the warmth of the waiting train station, even as her amber eyed traveling companion groaned in protest. _"This woman better be a world class chef for all the agony I'm putting myself through!_ " As visions of a gourmet meal danced through his snow addled mind, Bálor would pull out his scroll to check for any messages from the girl he left back home, a slight frown crossing his features as he paused to open the door into the station. "I can't believe it, I've been gone for hours now and not even a "where you at" message, I know she wants me to be a good boy and all but surely she's not so naïve as to think I would just sit patiently in my dorm room!" The wolf would be grumbling to himself even as he finally caught up to the younger woman, who had been busy purchasing a heavier cloak for him.

"I know it might not be your usual style but I figured it would help you stay warm, you know you could catch your death up in these kinds of places." Ruby would hold out the cloak to him, a slight blush that could easily be mistaken for chill covered her cheeks, but as she noticed the look of frustration lining his face she hesitated in giving him his much needed gift. "Bálor…?" The sounds of her scroll ringing would startle the crimsonette into dropping the heavy cloak onto the floor as she checked to see who it was that could be looking for her at this late hour, the color would quickly drain from her face as she saw her sister's smiling face above the option to accept or reject the call. "C-can you give me a minute, I need to take this." The young Huntress would bail as she used her speedy Semblance before he could even think to question her on her sudden shift in demeanor, running as far as her feet can carry her as only a flurry of rose petals were left in her wake.

"Well now, I wonder just what that was all about?" Bálor muttered quietly as he knelt down to retrieve the heavy cloak she had been carry, gently dusting it off while giving it the once over.

Ruby, however would be holed up in one of the stalls of the ladies washroom with her incessantly ringing scroll, waiting until she was certain that she was alone before finally answering the call with a sigh.

"H-hey Yang, what's up..?" The crimsonette would do her best to hide the nervousness in her voice, to carry on like it was just a normal conversation between two close siblings and not as a woman who had charmed her sister's significant other into going up north with her just to pay respects to their dead mother.

 _"I know he's with you Ruby, I wanna talk to him RIGHT NOW!"_ Yang's voice would be soft, but there was no mistaking the tinge of betrayal that was laced through her every word, the silver haired Huntress would sigh sadly, not knowing whether to apologize to her angered sibling or hang up on the call and hope her Semblance could carry her to some hidden darkened corner of Remnant.

"Well..it'd be a little hard to let you do that considering I'm in the bathroom right now sis, maybe I could pass on a message?" Ruby would do her best to stay composed despite the gut-wrenching fear that she was currently experiencing, she had never experienced her sister getting this worked up in the entirety of their time together as teammates.

 _"Yeah, you can tell him I know all about the little love shrine he kept to you. You know the one where he keeps all those lovely, FRAMED, photos of the two of you together?"_ The sound of something being shattered in the background was enough to startle the younger woman into dropping her scroll, she truly was at a loss for words on how to react to the situation as she knelt down to retrieve it.

 _"Yeah, that's right sis. You get all the wonderful dignity of picture frames, while I, His "girlfriend" am relegated to lining his mirror like some cheap side fling-"_

Ruby let out a snarl of frustration at her inability to retrieve the gadget while Yang prattled on with her "woe is me." spiel, she loved her big sister completely as a good sibling should but even sisterhood has its limits and the crimsonette was already thoroughly agitated thanks to the weight of the events that had already transpired with their little love triangle, not to mention the fact that she had roped her good friend into accompanying her to visit her deceased mother. (Granted he was still unaware about that last bit of information.)

"I CANNOT BELIEVE HOW EXCEEDINGLY PETTY YOU'RE BEING RIGHT NOW!" The red hooded reaper finally retrieved her scroll before calming herself and continuing, even as she mentally started screaming every obscenity she could think of.

"Do you have any idea what day it is tomorrow, did you ever stop to wonder why I'm not at Beacon right now or are you so blinded by your own stupid jealousy to not look at the calendar?" Ruby shuddered as things went silent on the other end of the call, whether it was due to her own pent up frustrations or the cold floor of the restroom she found herself sitting on, she couldn't say for sure, nor did she exactly care at that particular moment.

"It's almost the anniversary of Mom's death, I'm up north on my way to pay my respects at her grave. And yes, to answer your next question I talked Bálor into going with me."

The sounds of the brawler's exhausted sigh would be heard in the background, as well as some muffled words that the saddened Huntress couldn't quite make out.

 _"Dammit Ruby…why didn't you say anything, I would've gladly gone with you. You..you didn't have to sweet talk him into do this, I honestly wish you didn't as a matter of fact."_ Yang's tone would be much calmer at this point, although there was still the occasional crunch of broken glass here and there.

 _"I was just so fed up at what's been going on between B and I that I kinda lost my head during our last argument, said some things that I really shouldn't have, I was on my way to apologize when I noticed that stupid little doodle by the door."_

The crimsonette blushed upon remembering the little wolf nestled in a bed of roses, it was an adorable little gimmick that had been created by someone who was the walking antithesis of the word.

 _"Just seeing that little wolf looking so peaceful among the roses drove me nuts, because it made me feel like he preferred you over me. Then when I busted down the door and saw those photos of you two, and how much care he put into making sure they were protected I-"_

Ruby would sigh, setting the scroll down to take a breath while the older girl continued on. She honestly didn't know what to make of anything Yang had said: She and Bálor got along well enough that was for sure, and yes Ruby still had lingering feelings for her silver-haired friend but he had always seemed geared towards Yang, from that embarrassing night where she had gotten up her nerve to confess to Bálor only to walk on the golden maned woman sitting pretty in his lap preparing to do the same. She remembered the way his amber eyes were completely locked onto Yang's lilac ones, not even registering the crimsonette's presence until she had spoken those three little words.

"How can he possibly have feelings for me?" Ruby whispered to herself as she looked down at her hands through silver eyes that were quickly being overrun by tears of pain and sorrow. "Yang's beautiful and smart, she could give Bálor so much more then I can..after all she's his-" Ruby stopped short of saying the word "girlfriend" when she remembered the last talk she'd had with her sister, how angry the fisticuff loving Huntress was at the wolf Faunus's continued use of Bullet Club mannerisms and as Yang had put it "dressing like a beer-swilling meth head" before once again writing off their silver haired friend for the third time.

"She did it again..just because he wouldn't stop being himself, she practically told me to take him and yet she still has the gall to call herself his GIRLFRIEND!?" Her silver eyes turned into two blazing fires of determination despite the tears still trickling down her cheeks.

 _"Ruby? Ruby, are you still there, kinda sounded like you were talking to yourself sis."_ Yang would go silent, waiting for a reply from her now enlightened sibling, who was only now just putting the scroll back to her ear with a solid look of readiness on her face.

"Yeah sis, I'm still here..and you seem to have forgotten something very important sis, you wrote him off…again." The crimsonette haired girl could hear her older sibling's sharp intake of breath, as if she had been punched in the gut despite the two of them being separated by miles of train tracks. "You told me that if I wanted Bálor then by all means take him, and Dust help me that's what I did! I took one of our- no, MY dearest friends on a road trip to visit our mother, and for once I'm going to stop being a coward and just let him know how I feel about him! No games, no awkward situations, no more having to worry about crossing the line!"

On the other end of the phone Yang could be heard grinding her teeth in frustration as the younger Huntress continued to rant and rave as she psyched herself up.

 _"Ruby, think very carefully about what you're preparing to do..Bálor's just a guy, one of millions who will probably come and go over the years, you may think that you love him right now but I know that sooner rather than later those wrestling mannerisms you seem fond of will begin to get on your nerves."_ Yang would take a deep breath before continuing her speech, taking her time to choose her next few words carefully. _"I'm your sister, I'll love you no matter what you decide to do with your life. So ask yourself if this one guy who wastes his breath spouting very tasteless and annoying catchphrases is worth getting this amped up over because I guarantee if it came down to him choosing whether or not to spend his life in between those ropes or fighting on the frontlines alongside you as a Hunter, well honey that's a choice you're going to lose."_ The call would end with those cryptic words, Ruby would take a shaky breath as she checked the remaining charge on her scroll.

"Only twenty percent left, I guess that's what I get for using it during the train ride to look for ideas to bolster our old timey gimmick." The young woman would pocket the gadget as she finally left the stall and looked at her reflection in the mirror: her eyes were slightly reddened thanks to her earlier tears, and her hair was sticking up in more than a few directions as if she had just rolled out of bed.

 _"I can't go to him looking like this, he'll know something happened and start asking questions, and that's one conversation I'm really not ready to have right now."_ The crimsonette reaper would then turn on the water faucet in front of her, doing her best to reorient herself with her current surroundings after having it out with her older sister. She splashed cold water in her face in an attempt to hold back the emotional fatigue that weighed heavily upon her heart, next she would dig through her bag for her hairbrush and sighing in frustration as she tried to get her errant stray hairs under control. For Ruby this wasn't just a vain attempt at dolling herself up for the amber eyed wolf Faunus that she hoped was still waiting for her somewhere in this freezing train station, it also served as a small opportunity to word her latest confession of love to him..

"Bálor, I love you. No, too basic." She would tap her chin in thought even as other women passed by her on their way in and out. "Bálor, I wanna be your Bullet Babe!" The red hooded girl would snicker as she heard her voice echo off the restroom walls, her words causing her to go into a brief laughing fit as she shook her head at the absurdity of the line. "Geez, who knew that telling my best friend how I felt about him would be so difficult?" The sound of someone giggling behind her would snap the crimsonette out of her haze of frustration as a girl with purple colored hair and glasses made her way out from the stall behind Ruby.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your little rehearsal but..the echo ya know?" The newcomer would smile pleasantly as she washed her hands, her green eyes sparkling in the fluorescent lights overhead while her body was covered by a heavy traveling cloak emblazoned with the emblem of a charging pack of wolves.

"I take it your trying to ask out some bloke you like, and you can't find the right words to use is that it?" The girl would speak with a peculiar accent that the crimsonette couldn't place, nevertheless she would nod slowly in affirmation to the stranger's query. "Well, as someone who once stood where you are now let me offer you some kind advice: Don't waste time mincing words, be direct and let him know how you feel." The purple haired girl would move to retrieve some paper towels from the dispenser to dry her damp hands. "Believe me, if I hadn't have wasted my time trying to find the right words..then maybe my sweetheart would still be with me." Her voice would be filled with sadness as if she were reliving a pain best left forgotten; Ruby would frown slightly, the urge to hug the pain out of this girl's heart was filling her heart as she began making her way over to the strange accented young woman. Only for a chiming sound to stop her mid-step as the other girl removed a scroll from her pocket with a pout. "Bugger all, a Huntress's work is never done!" She would make her way to the door with a bright smile on her face, as if her earlier words had never been spoken. "Good luck with your bloke, remember: Just be honest and speak from the heart."

Ruby would nod as the strange Huntress left her alone with her thoughts, she would give her reflection one final inspection and while her eyes were still somewhat red and her hair still unkempt the cookie loving girl knew that the newcomer had a point. She had to do this now or risk losing him once again, whether it be to another girl at Beacon or a girl he had yet to meet it didn't matter.

"I almost lost him to Yang, and Dust help me if some other girl thinks she can give Bálor one tenth of what I can!" With a quick smack to the cheeks and a flourish of her hood, the crimsonette haired Huntress would pack up her brush and grab her travel bag as she made her way back out into the frigid train station which had seemingly gotten even more crowded during her absence. But even with the increased crowd blocking her view she could feel the wolf Faunus's presence nearby, it was as if by finally coming to terms with her sister and getting some resolve with herself that Ruby had gained a deeper connection to Bálor. She would immediately start speeding through the crowded station with the help of her Semblance, people around her would only notice mysterious flurries of rose petals appearing from out of thin air as she made her way over to one of the benches outside the station where the wolf Faunus was looking down at his scroll worriedly.

"C'mon Rubes, don't make me go looking for you..I'll end up tearing this place apart if I do." He would sigh as he looked back at the station doors, still oblivious to how close the red hooded reaper was until she leaped into his lap.

"Well it's nice to know that you'd trash a train station just for little 'ol me." The silver eyed speedster would plant a searing kiss upon the startled Faunus's lips before he could attempt any sort of response, it was intoxicating, it was better then a discount sale at Cookie World, it was a giant "fuck you" to her sister who was no doubt bristling with rage at the thought of her being alone with him.

All in all, this kiss was their most perfect one yet.

 _ **Yeah so, this happened. Not gonna lie I pieced this chapter together amidst a lot of personal and family issues that have been going on for way too long, so if it reads a little strange then take solace in the fact that it isn't "Peaches" level bad (how that story still gets views I'll never understand.)**_

 _ **Review if you want, PM if you must, then go read Asura Boss's Thorns of a Rose because it kicks ass!**_

 _ **Until next time, fare thee well**_


	4. Forest of Arguments

_**Ya know it's rare that upload in such a short span of time but today was so suck-tacular that I decided to spend the hours I DIDN'T waste going to cancelled meetings giving you a new chapter to read.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth, otherwise Vic Mignogna would have been introduced into the cast much sooner. Bálor Moonlight belongs to me and if I had to pick somebody to voice him it'd be Jensen Ackles (apologies for any misspelling) because that man made a wonderful Red Hood/Jason Todd. Any other individuals or groups mentioned within belong to their respective parent company**_

 _ **And now here's Chapter 4: Forest of Arguments or Xiao Long 3:16 says "I Just dumped your ass!"**_

 __Bálor didn't exactly know what was going on at this point, just that his best friend was in his lap, kissing him, outside of a freezing cold train station up in the northern mountains where they were supposedly on a journey to visit the crimsonette's mother while her old sister who also happened to be his better half (although given her demeanor and actions as of late this was a highly debatable term) had curiously been left behind at Beacon.

Something was not at all right with this situation, and he had quite enough of the red hooded girl constantly evading his questions, with that thought in mind he released his Semblance and gently pushed Ruby away from him before placing her onto the snow covered ground as gently as possible.

"Dammit Rubes, you can't keep doing this to me!" The wolf Faunus would stand up with a glare in his eyes as he stared down at the red hooded Huntress. "We're in the middle of nowhere, freezing our asses off going to visit a mother you're strangely avoiding talking about and yet all you've done is flirt with me when you know damn well I'm with Yang!"

He hissed and tried not to let the cold air get to him as she looked up at him, stunned at his sudden outburst towards her before checking his scroll once more for any messages from the blonde he had unceremoniously left behind. His eyes would widen in shock as not one but several messages popped up, he clicked upon the most recent one delivered and his heart would sink upon reading the one line that awaited him.

"We're done, I hope you and Ruby enjoy your alone time together." His voice would be muted and lifeless as he read the message aloud this time, the pain in his heart only worsening as he did so. Checking the remaining messages for some sort of lead up to why she would leave him with nothing but a "Dear John" message, he would find only photos of his dorm room looking as if a cyclone had decimated it: Shirts and clothing were torn to pieces, his vanity mirror had been cracked before having the words "Backstabbing Mutt" written carefully in what he suspected was ruby red lipstick, his bed and other furnishings had been reduced to a burnt mess.

"Ruby, do you have any idea just what the hell any of this is supposed to mean!?" He would toss his scroll to the startled young Huntress before pulling at his silver hair in frustration, not even bothering to note his companion's deepening frown as she looked over the messages his now ex-girlfriend had left for him.

"I knew she was mad at you before she left but I didn't think that she would ever do this, Bálor I'm sorry, I meant to tell you what was going on but I was just so nervous about asking you to come with me and then Yang and I got into a fight where she wrote you off..again."

The heartbroken Faunus would just stare at her with his jaw slack in amazement as he listened to the crimsonette recount the last argument she had with Yang before the pair had left the Academy's hall and embarked on their journey, his fist tightening in repressed anger as she described a furious Xiao Long shattering her mirror and referring to him as 'that sack of catchphrase spouting deadweight.' that if she wanted to deal with him then by all means go ahead and do it.

"That doesn't make sense Ruby, I know she hated me using the Bullet Club's mannerism's but I don't think that's why she'd trash my dorm room so badly, not to mention that message on the mirror. So what aren't you telling me?"

Ruby would flinch visibly at his rising anger, not expecting his reaction to be so wildly different after they had shared such a heated kiss mere minutes ago. His amber eyes were like twin pools of boiling molten rage that she desperately wanted to soothe before he completely snapped on her, but judging by how resolute the irate wolf Faunus was standing and the ferocity of his glare there would no amount of kisses and warm hugs that would even begin to heal the damage that she and her sibling had caused.

"Well, there was a reason why I suddenly disappeared on you earlier." The red hooded Huntress would look down at her friend's weathered sneakers before giving him the full story of how she had holed herself up in the ladies room just to verbally deal with an incensed Yang, how the blonde had tried to justify her actions during their argument and had been heading over to apologize to him before seeing the drawing he had made by his door and completely losing her lid.

"But..But that was just a stupid little drawing I made to tell people that you were bunking with me during that FIRST time Schnee went batshit crazy, it didn't mean anything!" Bálor would sigh in frustration as he pulled at his silver locks once more, leaving the red hooded Huntress floored by his stunning admission about that heartfelt doodle.

"S-so, you didn't draw that little wolf because you missed having me around?" Her silver eyes would immediately begin to fill with tears as she recalled the adorable little doodle that once resided next to his dorm room door and the blush it made her feel.

"But what about the pictures, why were mine framed and not Yang's? If you really cared about Yang then why were her pictures just lining your mirror like…someone not important?" Ruby would finally stand up, even as her heart was threatening to sink down to her feet. "Why would you even agree to come on this journey with me if your heart was still so firmly up Yang's ass?!" The crimsonette haired Huntress could feel the tears streaming down her face as she defiantly stepped up to the taller Faunus, her own hands balled into fists after having been cruelly rejected even after giving him the full weight of her passion for him in that one kiss. "TELL ME WHY YOU'D LEAD ME ON LIKE THAT?!"

He would growl at the shorter girl in response as his fists tightened further in agitation, he had been called a lot of things over the course of his sixteen years of living: His alcoholic and abusive father had constantly referred to him as a disappointing whelp unworthy of the great name Bálor, the prisoners at BlackVale had called him a myriad of disgusting names ranging from 'fleabag' to 'tick-sucking bitch' and even when he had finally made it to Beacon the taunting hadn't ceased what with spoiled brats like Cardin and Weiss looking down on him from their diamond encrusted perches. But that was nothing to him, for he had managed to punish those individuals in one way or another: Jaggerjack got his when the wolf Faunus first used his Semblance to force the drunkard off of the roof of their home and into a waiting pack of Beowolves, the prisoners who had bulled him received their comeuppance thanks to his many shivs and shanks (ironically these acts of vengeance were also what motivated Vacuo to train him as an assassin.), he had beaten Cardin into unconsciousness with his own weapon in front of the entire student body, and with what he had in store for the heiress there were two possible outcomes: Complete humiliation or utter submission, a fitting punishment considering how she viewed him as nothing more than a rabid dog that needed to be put down.

But this was Ruby Rose who was currently inciting his anger, the spunky little crimsonette as well as her blonde bombshell of an older sibling had gone above and beyond what was necessary to make Beacon feel more like a home instead of just another prison where Goodwitch was desperately trying to play warden, sure it had created a massive clusterfuck of a love triangle between them all but he had stuck firm and through himself into the blinding warmth that had been Yang Xiao Long. It was supposed to have ended after that day, but like any good thing in a relationship it went to Hell at record speeds as the golden maned Huntress quickly tried to abolish the joys of wrestling without so much as giving him a chance to explain why he immersed himself in it so much. And now his favorite red reaper was now accusing him of leading her on in some sort of imaginary relationship between the two of them.

"Ruby, if I have ever done anything to make you think that even for a minute I harbored any sort of deep seated romantic feelings for you then I apologize. I had no intention of leading you on, for better or worse I was Yang's man..even if she tried to cut me down in more than one sense." The silver haired Faunus was doing his best to keep his temper from flaring up as he spoke, the crimsonette staring up at him would just shake her head soundlessly at his apology as if she were unable to comprehend what he was saying.

"Y-you're lying..you're just trying to push me away just like you did Yang, well I'm not about to run away dammit and there's not a thing you could say to me to make me even consider backing down!" Ruby was about to say more when she was cut off by the unmistakable sound of Beowolves howling, the snow covered forest behind them would rustle as around ten or twenty of the creatures would make there way out of the trees to face the arguing Hunter and Huntress.

"Consider our argument on pause!" The crimsonette would reach behind her in one fluid motion, releasing her beloved Scythe/Sniper Rifle Crescent Rose and unfolding it with the flick of a switch, the Faunus would growl irritably at his lack of a weapon as he watched the younger girl charge in without a second thought before shaking his head and raising his hand as his amber eyes glowed bright as he lifted whatever was behind him into the air and sending it at the monsters.

 _"It's not much, but it should give her some breathing room."_ He sighed as bits of debris, the benches he had once occupied and even a trash bin all flew at the Grimm. A few would be stunned by the sudden ambush, giving the crimsonette an opening to slice them apart with some quick strikes from Crescent Rose, but those who weren't damaged would snarl and start advancing toward the amber eyed telekinetic.

"That's it boys, let's play!" Bálor would feel his Aura rising forth to protect him as he stopped one of the Beowolves mid-charge and slam it back to the ground even as it's brethren dived for him with their fangs bared. "Bitch please!" He would fire his Semblance up once again and send the beasts flying back before picking up the stunned Grimm at his feet and hurling it back into the trees with a frustrated sigh. "This would be so much easier if I had a weapon!" He would saunter into the forest, intent on finishing of the few Grimm who had made the mistake of choosing him as a target.

Ruby was having difficulty focusing on the creatures of Grimm that were circling her, all teeth and snarls as they sized up the red hooded Huntress with hungry eyes.

"Dammit if I just had kept my cool earlier, this probably wouldn't be happening right now." She would slice at one of the braver Beowolves who tried lunging for her, only to spin Crescent Rose and slice it down the middle before leaping over another pair who had decided to charge for her. She would take a moment to look around for the silver haired wolf Faunus but he had left the area, an advisable move given his lack of weaponry.

 _"We are going to finish that damn argument Bálor, so don't even think of running too far!"_ The crimsonette would let out a battle cry before switching to her cross-shaped ammo clip, intent on ending the battle before the Grimm could set their sights on the station, using her Semblance to become a red cyclone of fury as she started reaping the Grimm with her scythe as easily as a farmer would cut through wheat. And what once were howls of defiance and hunger quickly became howls of pain and agony as the red hooded Huntress turned her earlier rage upon the invading Grimm, expending round and round of her ammo to insure that every kill was a clean through and through slice.

"I am not about to let your stupid neurotic tendency to be cocooned in your own world push me away!" She snapped at an oncoming Beowolf before slicing its head clean off and speeding away from another's claw swipe and reappearing behind it to bifurcate it with another enraged scream, clearly she was using these Grimm as a substitute to vent her frustration toward her companion and while they couldn't respond to her bursts of anger verbally that didn't make it any less satisfying to kill them off while ranting.

"You said you didn't mean to lead me on, but you give me a place to stay when Weiss starts acting crazy, you show me a world of cookies, you keep me from being sent to jail, you give me this frustratingly oversized shirt!" She would keep slashing at the angered beasts, their numbers beginning to dwindle in the face of an emotionally pissed off Ruby Rose.

"You kissed me! Made me believe that I meant something to you, even when Yang did everything except open her legs to you!" She shuddered as she recalled bursting in on her sister sitting in the amber eyed young man's lap and snarled as she cut the last Beowulf's legs and then decapitating the helpless monster before it could even hit the ground.

"And I'm pretty sure she was going to do that if I hadn't fucking stopped her too." Ruby would mutter sadly as she collapsed Crescent Rose before proceeding into the forest after the Faunus, her newly acquired connection toward him had been dulled considerably but she knew that there was no way that he would endanger innocent civilians by heading back into the train station.

Bálor would be breathing heavily as he faced down the two remaining Grimm he had chased after, the strain of overusing his Semblance was weighing heavy upon him as he surveyed his options.

"Well now I've stepped in it this time, shouldn't have gotten so fucking cocky earlier and wasted so much energy making these guys do tricks." His vision would blur as he stumbled to one knee, giving the vicious Grimm the perfect opportunity to lunge at his weakened form with howls of triumph.

 _"Dammit, I've survived all of Goodwitch's bullshit just to lose to a couple of mutts…how disgraceful."_

An ear piercing scream would keep him from sinking into unconsciousness, the sound of it being powerful enough to send the snarling Grimm flying backwards as a hooded figure leaped in front of him protectively.

"Ru-by?" He was only able to croak out that one final query before his body's exhaustion pushed him into the darkness of sleep.

 _"That kind of scream CAN'T be human!"_ That was the sole thought propelling the crimsonette reaper forward into the forest, her earlier feelings of anger and resentment replaced by worry as she pushed her Semblance to carry her further as another scream was heard, this time though it would be followed by the sounds of Grimm crying out in pain.

"Bálor! Bálor sound off already will you!" Ruby would call out as the sounds of Grimm in pain became clearer and the crimsonette would land just in time to see a cloaked figure kneeling over the wolf Faunus's fallen form, without even wasting a single breath for questions she would charge forward while preparing Crescent Rose for yet another battle. However the hooded individual would leap away, the sounds of snow being crushed under Ruby's boots having alerted them to her presence.

"Get away from him!" She would kneel down and gently roll the unconscious Bálor over onto his back, gently trying to shake him awake and gritting her teeth in anger when he didn't. "You..you did this didn't you?!" Furious, the silver eyed reaper would set her sights back on the hooded individual who only put his/her hands up while shaking their head vigorously in denial of her claim. But it would do little to deter Ruby from charging in to attack the mysterious individual with some less then graceful strikes from Crescent Rose, before assuming a fighting stance as metal gauntlets and greaves formed around the newcomers hands and feet respectively.

"Great, a hand to hand fighter like Yang." She would grin and switch her weapon to its rifle form and start firing off rounds quickly, only for the newcomer to dodge them with startling ease.

"Every time I go against someone new they always dodge the bullets!" Ruby would switch tactics by going back to Crescent Rose's scythe form and going in up close, even though she knew it would leave her outmatched against a close range combatant. However the cloaked individual seemed caught off guard by the reaper's blinding speed as they barely managed to avoid taking a direct hit but losing a scrap of cloak in the process.

"Didn't expect that did you? My Semblance allows me to move at unimaginable speeds, heck I doubt even a super powered robot could keep up with my moves!" With that the red hooded Huntress prepared to press the assault on her foe, who seemed to hesitate visibly at her proximity to the unconscious Faunus before leaping into the trees intent on making their retreat.

"Hey, wait!" The crimsonette was set to pursue this mysterious enemy but the sounds of her wolf Faunus companion slowly coming to would make her pause before making much headway and turning back to check up on him. "Bálor..?" Ruby would look back at the trees, seeing no sign of the cloaked individual who outmaneuvered her earlier rifle fire and returning her weapon to its travel compartment as her silver haired friend opened his eyes slowly.

"…Damn, I really screwed up Rubes. Thanks for saving my ass and wiping out those Grimm." Bálor would struggle to sit up even as Ruby thought back on what had transpired between them a mere half hour ago, the cruel truths he had laid upon her still were still very much raw in her heart. And while part of her wished nothing more then to watch him struggle to rise and fail to do so countless times, she knew that they weren't too far from her mother's resting place and that even in death Summer would be ashamed to see her daughter abandon a friend and fellow Hunter over a petty personal dispute. "It was the least I could do, after all Hunters and Huntresses stick together right?" The crimsonette would force a smile as she helped the wolf Faunus to a sitting position before joining him on the cold ground in silence, raising her hood to keep him from seeing the tears threatening to fall as she remembered their earlier disputes.

"Hey..Ruby, what do you think it means..to be a Hunter that is, is destroying Grimm all we're really useful for?" The amber eyed Hunter would sigh as he looked up at the pale moon hanging over their heads, even as his cookie loving companion thought carefully over his question.

"Well, that would be true if the Grimm were our only enemy, but that's not true: We have thieves like Roman Torchwick, misguided groups of individuals like the White Fang who want to achieve their goal through force, we'd probably even have to fight Super powered villains if we had those." Ruby would reach in her travel pack for food but frown when she remembered her pack was still back over at the train station, her stomach would growl in anger at her forgetfulness.

"Here little Rose, you definitely need this more than I do." The wolf would hand her a bag of cookies from his open pack with a slight smile, she would take it from him with a slight pout before carefully tearing open the pack and feasting on the sweet prizes inside.

"Don't think this means I haven't forgotten what went down earlier, I'm still very upset about that." She snapped at him before taking another handful of cookies and shoveling them into her mouth. "I really thought you cared about me as more than a friend and knowing that you don't-"

The amber eyed Faunus would shake his head as he pulled out a box of jerky and pulled out a piece, taking a bite before speaking.

"You and I both know that me saying that I have no deep seated feelings for you is a load of Boarbatusk crap, I'm constantly running from anything that resembles a deeper bond then camaraderie on the battlefield. And not just because your sister tried to change me either."

The crimsonette would sigh in relief upon hearing those words, the flame of hope that there would be a future for them seemed to be slowly burning itself back to life.

"Rubes, I can't bring myself to get closer to anyone because of what happened before I transferred into Beacon Academy. Back when I was a dog of the Vacuan Military…I led a group of Hunters and Huntresses whose specialty was off the books missions for those higher up on the food chain."

This piqued the young woman's interest, he had only chosen to divulge his childhood to her on a previous occasion and now it seemed that he once again deemed her trustworthy enough to divulge yet another secret of his life to her and her alone.

"Wait, you mean like..spy stuff?" She asked between cookies, wanting to know more about the wolf Faunus's past exploits but also knowing that her stomach still demanded sustenance thanks to how much energy she expended in the previous two battles.

"Yeah..sure we did the usual spy crap: Steal information, stop crazy villains from using destructive lasers to wipe out Remnant, and occasionally get the uber hot female in the end sometimes." The crimsonette would glare at him heatedly at that last remark causing him to gulp nervously before continuing with his tale. "But we also screwed over a lot of innocent people just because the boys and gals upstairs didn't wanna lose their golden parachutes, you think the tech we have now is amazing Ruby you should see the blueprints for some of the crap we were forced to dispose of! Hell Vacuo wouldn't even be a desert right now if we hadn't have ruined some poor soul who had found a way to terraform sand into lush, green grass!"

Ruby would nod slowly, taking in Bálor's story with some skepticism but not voicing it directly until he had gotten it out of his system like the delusional rantings of a fevered mental patient.

"It pissed me off that none of the team wanted to blow the whistle on any of this, and who could blame them what with the government handing out six figure checks like they were skittles and letting the innocent suffer and starve in the ghettos. Even my own partner, a girl named Mana, someone who I've known since I was a pup mind you. Even she wouldn't give up that kind of cash and instead arranged to have me thrown back in jail on trumped up drug charges, stripped of my rank, and my mother sent to an insane asylum!" He would go quiet as a small tear fell from his eye.

"By the time Ozpin sprung my dumb ass from the pokey and set me up in Vale, I found out that mother had hung herself in her cell, which is impossible given how anal those people are for inspecting patients' cells for anything that could be used for self-harm."

The crimsonette didn't need a doodle to figure that if what her silver haired companion were saying was true then the higher ups had the late Mrs. Moonlight murdered in response to her son defecting to Vale.

"Because of me and everything I know, the Vacuan government killed my mother and turned my closest friends into greedy money-whores!"

She had finally heard all she needed to hear and before her friend could drown himself further in the sins of his past Ruby had wrapped her arms around him tightly, letting the tears she had been saving up fall freely as she cried into his shoulder.

"I know that you feel responsible for the bad things that happened to you in the past, but dammit you weren't in control over your destiny then! By freeing you from that hellhole Ozpin gave you a chance to choose how to live your life!" Ruby shuddered, trying to hold back the harder sobs so as not to ruin the traveling cloak she had recently bought him. "And I'm glad you decided to come to Beacon, to fight alongside me and my friends, to actually HELP people instead of hurting them. And maybe once this thing with the Grimm is finished and the world is at peace then we can finally get some justice for your mother, as well as everyone back in Vacuo."

Bálor would sigh and hold the younger woman close to his heart, knowing that despite her lofty aspirations for peace the people would just find a new enemy to point them at once the threat of Grimm were extinguished. Maybe they would be forced to fight the other kingdoms in some sick mad dash for supremacy, or perhaps an even greater threat would just rise up to replace the Grimm and start the cycle anew.

"Tell me something little Rose, why did an adorable little girl like you decide to walk the path of Huntress? You could've had a normal life with other girls your age: Going shopping, getting your nails painted, and talking about cute boys."

Ruby would laugh quietly as his words brought back memories of her first day at Beacon and one of her earlier encounters with Weiss.

"Well; back when I was a much younger and cuter me, Yang used to read to me stories about great heroes who risked life and limb to save the world. They didn't do it for the rewards or the fame, they just did it because it was the right thing to do. From then on I decided that's what I wanted to do with my life, be a hero so that maybe someday my adventures can inspire someone else to follow their dreams..whether it's to be a Huntress or part of an old timey tag team with their best friend."

The amber eyed wolf would laugh uproariously at her mentioning of their shared idea to basically become Beacon's resident Vaudevillains complete with a dog mascot, it would be complete lunacy and who knows how their fellow students would react but damn it would be more then enough fun for the three of them.

"Dust help me woman you've got me sold on this tag team idea, but I'm still not growing a mustache."

 _ **Well now wasn't that fun, a loud boisterous argument between pals, Grimm finally showing up to fight instead of just being mentioned, another fight between Ruby and someone she hasn't met before (for the first instance of this check out my RWBY/Kingdom Hearts Crossover "Conversations of the Heart") apologies mixed with some OC backstory. Good stuff right?**_

 _ **Review if you want, PM if you must**_

 _ **and I'll see you next time with our conclusion!**_


	5. Memorial

_**Alright. I'm just gonna leave "this" here. *sets up flame shield***_

 _ **Disclaimer: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth or there really would be an old-timey strongman act in Remnant (voiced of course by Aiden English and Simon Gotch) Bálor belongs to me (don't know why I keep putting this up here, is there anybody who'd really waste their time stealing someone else's OC?) Any other individuals, persons, or organizations mentioned within are the property of their respective parent company.**_

 _ **Without further ado I give to you the conclusion of Roses & Moonlight: Memorial or "A better finish then Summerslam 2015 gets"**_

It would be sunrise by the time the pair made their way out of the forest, they had a few small skirmishes with the Beowolves in the area but thanks to the crimsonette's natural talents and her skill with Crescent Rose they finally found themselves standing before the final resting place of Summer Rose.

Ruby would take a deep breath and slowly approach her mother's grave, trying to keep her composure now that she had somebody with her visiting this time.

"Hi Mom, I know I'm a little later this year then I wanted to be but I have a really good reason." The silver eyed Huntress would gently wipe away the snow that had built up over Summer's monument, leaving her Faunus traveling companion to stare on in a mixture of indignant awe and gold old fashioned shock as he saw her wave over to him, gesturing for the still stunned silver haired young man to join her.

"I..don't believe it…" Bálor would mutter this quietly as he made his way over to the monument with a somber look on his face even though he was furious on the inside.

 _"I came all this way to visit a fucking DEAD WOMAN!"_

To say the wolf Faunus was disappointed was a colossal understatement, thoughts of a warm meal had been the primary motivator for the amber eyed young man as he made the remainder of the journey after arriving at the frigid train station in the mountains.

 _"Honestly, it's my fault for expecting a normal ANYTING from this trip! I've been roped into wasting an entire day riding on a pathetically slow train, roped into being a poor man's substitute for Simon Gotch, my now ex-girlfriend levels my dorm room in a fit of rage, and now my best friend has got me visiting her dead mother's tomb- er grave- whatever you call this thing!"_

Despite his long laundry list of mental complaints, the wolf would gently go to one knee and gently run his fingers over the inscription that had been etched on the face of the grave.

"…thus kindly, I scatter." The silver haired Faunus would shake his head bitterly as he stared down at the snow beneath him as he tried to swallow the fury he was feeling as he knelt at the lonely grave.

"It's neat isn't it, apparently it's a part of my mother's favorite poem." The crimsonette would place a free hand upon his shoulder as she turned back to face her mother's resting place with a happy smile. "Mom, this is my best friend Bálor. He's a nice guy, really likes wrestling." She would continue to list the many positive accolades he had accumulated over his half year tenure at the academy while conveniently glossing over his more violent outbursts, all the while she would be massaging his shoulder gently as if encouraging him to add some words of his own.

 _"The fuck does she want me to say, we're sitting here kneeling at the grave of a dead woman and she's gabbing on and on and on about me like she's alive and actually listening to her baby girl gush on her new buddy!"_ The amber eyed wolf would stay silent, letting the crimsonette continue her absurdly long list of praising for him, he was pretty sure that she had long since left the realm of truthfulness as she described a scene where he had magically appeared and saved a group of school children from an assault by the White Fang.

"Ruby, that's enough…you don't have to talk me up like that, especially not to a dead woman who isn't listening." Bálor would sigh in frustration before standing up and turning away from the grave, leaving the crimsonette in shock at the cold edge in his words. He had indeed done a great many things in his time in Vale but he wasn't about to let himself kneel at the grave of a dead woman and let someone lie about what kind of man he was, he wasn't anything akin to a hero and he certainly wasn't nice. He had left a few good Hunters in broken heaps because of a bad temper, constantly spit in the face of those in power, and had managed to break the heart of the one person who even considered herself brave enough to try and see him for something better than what he believed himself to be.

 _"I know what I am, and it's the same thing I'll always be: A bloodthirsty killer whose only place is a spot in Hell."_

Ruby would sigh as she sat in front of Summer's grave, tears silently streaming down her face as she tried to wrap her mind around her friend's sudden change in demeanor.

"I'm sorry Mom, I didn't mean for this to happen. I just wanted my best friend to meet my mother, I figured that maybe if he were to come with me to meet you…" The crimsonette would trail off as she stared at the inscription silently as she mulled over her words again, thinking back on the events that had brought them here.

"Who am I kidding, I've been lying this entire time Mom: To Yang, to Bálor, to you, and most importantly to myself, I don't know how it was between you and Dad but I know that I feel something deep down in my soul whenever I'm with him. It's warm and sweet, like a fresh batch of cookies." She would giggle at her own analogy even as she looked up at the rising sun that stretched out before her with a sad smile, wishing she could share this moment with the amber eyed wolf. "I think this is what people call love, I'm not really sure. I mean if it isn't about Crescent Rose or cookies then it's brand new territory for me. I'm not even sure how he feels about me Mom, I've seen him with Yang and in the beginning they were hot and heavy then three weeks later they're having shouting matches over his love of wrestling." Ruby would sigh and lower her hood as she laid her forehead against her mother's grave, shuddering at how cold its surface was but feeling the warmth of the woman's love nonetheless.

"I have to go now Mom, I need to find out what he feels for me if anything. Maybe there's hope for the two of us at the end of this journey, maybe he and Yang finally settle their differences and pick up where they left off, or maybe he'll end up with someone totally different…like Weiss." The crimsonette would shudder at the thought of the heiress and the silver haired Faunus in any sort of romantic entanglement, their hatred for each other was often a single insult from coming to blows before someone (usually the reaper herself) would come in to break things up.

"Yeah, I really don't see that happening without some kind of divine force coming in and completely rewriting everything." She would sigh and look back at the snow covered forest behind her with a frown, hoping that maybe he had finally cooled down enough to rejoin her.

 _"Never doubt the forces lying outside your scope of vision Ruby, they're more than likely to take your fears and make them a reality."_

Ruby would look around suddenly, hearing a voice upon the wind but she would see nothing but her mother's grave and the snow covered mountains laid out before her.

"Mom, was that..you?" She would shiver slightly before speeding off back through the forest that separated her from her companion, unaware that a figure in a white hood now stood before the grave of Summer Rose and watched as the crimson speedster made her exit.

 _"Oh Ruby, if I only I hadn't taken that mission…maybe then would you be safe from the darkness that's approaching all of us."_

Ruby would still be haunted by the mysterious voice that had spoken to her at the gravesite as she reached the edge of the forest, sighing in relief as she found the wolf Faunus standing alone with a pained look on his face.

"Thank Dust you're still here, I thought for sure you would be riding the first train back to Beacon considering how upset you were." The crimsonette would make her way up to him quietly when she didn't get a response from her friend, only for him to step away from her and shake his head indignantly.

"Dammit Bálor I'm sorry! Is that what you want me to say right now because I will: I'm Sorry! I'm Sorry! A thousand times over I'm sorry!" She could feel the tears threatening to fall once again as she reached out to him for forgiveness. "I didn't mean to talk you up so much at my mother's grave, I just wanted you both to see how special you are to me. I wanted you to see that Yang isn't the only one who can keep you from slipping into whatever darkness you feel trapped in, I can do it too..without having you sacrifice any part of what makes you special."

Bálor would simply shake his head once more, only this time a small smile would play across his lips before exploding into a complete grin.

"C'mon Rubes, you really think I didn't know that? You're always looking out for me no matter what the situation is, hell I bet if it came down between me or Yang I'd probably stand a better chance than most guys would in that situation." The wolf Faunus would then chuckle as the younger Huntress just looked on slack-jawed at his words. "Well, there's also the fact that you have a terrible poker face. Kinda like that one." Ruby would finally regain her composure as the amber eyed Faunus grinned proudly, not noticing that her silver eyes were burning with anger and embarrassment at how lightly he was taking all of this. She had poured out her heart to him in a handful of words and he was just standing there with a cheesy grin on his face with a twinkle in his eye, any other woman in her position would have stomped off while cursing up on a storm. But the crimsonette wasn't the ordinary woman, she was a Huntress who wanted nothing more than to be a hero and bring peace to the world of Remnant, spend an entire day giving her Crescent Rose some good old fashioned TLC (and maybe a few good upgrades to the rifle form so she could down the Goliath sized Grimm she saw outside Mountain Glenn half a year ago.) and maybe one day settle down with the guy who could make her heart sing just by being beside her with a loving smile.

In her heart of hearts Ruby honestly believed Bálor was that special guy, and yet despite said belief the crimsonette would drive her knee in between his legs with a strength even she didn't know she possessed as the once grinning wolf Faunus crumpled to the snow covered ground in a heap of pain-filled groans before struggling to look up at her with his eyes wide.

"Gaahhh! Ruby…why?" The amber-eyed Hunter would whimper as his world was coated in a blur of agony and tears as he writhed in pain.

The cookie loving red hood would look down at her wounded best friend with a cheeky grin of her own before kneeling down and helping him to a sitting position, giving him a small peck on the cheek as she did.

"That was for saying I had a terrible poker face, after all you sure as hell didn't see that coming did you?"

The wolf would only whimper in response.

The pair would soon find themselves on the earliest possible train back to the city of Vale once again back in their rather plush first class accommodations, Ruby had made sure to stock up on cookies before boarding as she was now busy using his scroll to add notes on their future Vaudevillain debut while Bálor slept in the seat across from her.

"This is going to be so awesome once we finally get everything together, elaborate costumes, old timey music." The crimsonette would look over at the sleeping Faunus with a satisfied smile before trying to imagine him with a manly mustache and breaking out into a quiet laughing fit at the sight that popped up in her head. "Oh that's going to be the icing on the cake that's for sure." She would make a quick note to press the issue of facial hair when he was finally awake, her silver eyes would skim over the long list of notes she had come up with and then fire off a copy to her own scroll.

She would go to set his scroll back into his travel pack when she noticed a flashing icon out of the corner of her eye, his mailbox icon would chime softly as the crimsonette looked down at it curiously, she would look to the sleeping wolf curiously watching him turn on his side before letting out a sigh of relief as her thumb hovered over the mailbox icon curiously.

"I shouldn't do this, it's not right." Ruby would frown in deep thought as she went to return the scroll back to its proper place when her thumb accidentally grazed the mail icon and the message began to play.

 _"Hey Bálor, it's Blake..I wanted to say thank you for sending me that poem, it was sweet but, I'm with Sun so..please try not to make it a habit."_

The crimsonette would stay quiet as she stared down at his scroll, trying to comprehend what she had just heard as she set the scroll down and raked her fingers through her hair in exasperation. It seemed every time they took a step forward to being something more another setback would rise to challenge them, this time it would be in the form of her Faunus teammate Blake. Although it seemed the feline Faunus didn't reciprocate his feelings, leaving the younger woman pleased that another situation wouldn't rise from this.

 _"I didn't even think he and Blake got along, I know that brain thingy had a lot to do with it but I've never seen the two of them socializing with each other. And what's this about a poem?"_ Ruby would look over at the scroll sitting beside her, wondering if she should breach the invisible line of trust that stood between them. She had heard that message completely by accident, a slip of the thumb that just so happened to yield something not meant for her ears and deserved to be left alone now that there was a chance for them to finally take a step forward in their relationship.

But as she reached down to set the scroll back in its proper place curiosity would overwhelm the little Rose as she began to comb through his mailbox for any more signs of dalliances between the two Faunus, most of the recent messages would be him trying to communicate with Yang after arguments with him being the one to apologize after the fact.

"Wow, I actually remember a couple of those fights and sis said some pretty nasty things, yet here he is apologizing as if he were the bad guy." Ruby would glance at the sleeping form of Bálor and smile sadly. "I guess being a good heel only extended to the sparring floor didn't it?" The crimsonette would scroll further down the list of messages but find nothing but more apology texts to her sister, bits and pieces of a conversation between herself and the wolf, and a litany of suspension notices from Goodwitch which were often followed by a message from Ozpin that essentially negated the earlier notice.

"Professor Ozpin really goes out of his way to make sure Bálor isn't inconvenienced, wonder why that is?" She would sigh, finding no sign of the supposed poem that he had written for Blake and set the scroll back in his travel pack as the train passed through the tunnel that connected Vale to the Northern Mountains.

 _"I guess maybe he wrote it down on a piece of paper or something before we left on this trip, I shouldn't even be worrying about this, Blake obviously has no interest in him so this is NOT a thing!"_ Ruby would lay her head back on the seat as she tried to calm herself down, this trip had drained her emotionally as they had constantly flip flopped from best friends to a couple of squabbling hens before going back to more amicable terms and repeating the cycle once again. She couldn't blame him for losing his cool at certain points as half-truths and misdirections were blurted out at certain points in the trip, but he had stayed by her for the most part and for that the crimsonette would be eternally grateful.

"…Ruby, do you think Yang's still mad?" Her silver eyes would fly open at the sound of his groggy voice before letting out a small sigh in response to his question. "I'm only asking because I need to know whether I should stay at a hotel tonight or something, I'd really like to avoid throwing fists with your sister. That's a fight I cannot win even with her bound and gagged to a chair."

The crimsonette would rub her temples tiredly as a headache was beginning to form, she knew her older sibling was a hothead who was quick to retaliate when angered. She had already decimated the dorm room where the wolf stayed and was no doubt waiting for them to return so she could dole out further vengeance through her fists, and while she hated the idea of her sister and her best friend coming to physical blows she knew that the best she could do was try and convince Yang to let it go with only a few shots to the face.

"Yeah; it's probably for the best that you hide like a bitch, after all you were the first major relationship she's had and yet instead of honoring her commitment to you, you went ahead and held a candle for little 'ol me." She would giggle as she heard his growls from the other end of their passenger car, Ruby knew that Bálor wouldn't run from a fight no matter how bad the odds would be against him. "Then again we could come back to the dorm and find Yang and Jaune making out on the smoldering ashes of what used to be your bed, hmmm I wonder if it would be weird to find your ex-girlfriend making out with the one non-racist guy in Beacon that you hate." The silver haired Faunus would snarl and growl in response to the blonde haired Knight being brought up into the scenario, again causing the cookie loving Huntress to crack a smile as they exited the tunnel and daylight streamed through. "But then again you probably wouldn't be the only one livid at that situation, Pyrrha probably wouldn't take kindly to my sister making out with HER boyfriend." Ruby was very much enjoying seeing her best friend getting fired up and prepared for battle, this was the Bálor she knew best: Cocky, self-assured, and with the temperament of a pit bull that had been deprived of food and water for a few days. This was the guy he sister had tried to domesticate into a loyal golden retriever or some poodle that trotted along the show floor and did tricks on demand.

"Fuck, I know you're stirring the pot here Rubes but DAMN I'm gonna wring your sister's neck when we finally get back. Nobody makes a fool outta me dammit!" He would slam his fist against his seat before sitting up and baring his fangs at the red hooded girl.

"Oh no, I think I went too far!" The crimsonette would facepalm as the announcement that they had made it back to Vale Station, and the train would slow to a stop and allow them an opportunity to exit. "Kidding! Kidding! I was kidding, please don't start a fight with Yang!" Her silver eyes would be wide with panic at the thought of the two of them tearing Beacon apart with an angry brawl fueled by the brawler's actual pain and hurt towards him for leaving with Ruby on her journey to visit her fallen mother while he would be fighting on with the hypothetical scenarios that she had laid out for him an attempt to get him back to his energetic self. "Please, I'll do anything you ask of me: I'll give up cookies, I'll be your Dalton Castle slave girl, I'll do unspeakable things that'll make me regret looking at myself in the mirror in the morning-"

She would stop talking as she felt his arms wrap around her gently, her body tensing up slightly before returning the hug more tightly.

"Alright little Rose, if it means that much to you then I won't throw a punch at your big sister. Verbal or otherwise." The wolf Faunus's voice would be soft and reassuring as he held her close, giving them a few moments peace before stepping away to grab both of their packs and carry them over his shoulders before flexing. "Hey, you wanted me to be the strongman remember? The strongman carries the bags while the mouthpiece gets the crowd going." He would grin proudly as he walked out whistling a jaunty tune and treating the travel bags like a couple of old fashioned dumbbells, allowing him to do arm curls and leaving the crimsonette to smile proudly to herself before following him out of the passenger car.

"Gather round ladies and gentleman and prepare to witness a myriad of muscular miracles as my associate Bálor the Burly amazes you with his rugged good looks and the strength of a thousand men!" Ruby would pause mid-step before realizing how corny the words she spoke aloud sounded to her own ears. "Man, I wish somebody would have warned me about how hard being a mouthpiece was. I guess I should start writing down some material for our debut." By the time she finished running outside, Bálor would be busy lifting an entire cart of luggage with only a minor sweat coating his forehead as the passengers who had exited the train ahead of her clapped politely as he set the baggage cart down and smiled appreciatively before flexing his biceps to a second applause followed by some whistling from a couple of women passing by the platform.

 _"I'm starting to think this should be an Academy only thing, at least over there I actually KNOW some of the women!"_ Ruby was about ready to vocalize the jealousy that she was experiencing when she felt his eyes upon her in search of approval, her cheeks rouged in embarrassment over her momentary jealousy before joining the crowd in their smattering of applause and then execute a rather graceful cartwheel into a split and pose alongside her Faunus strongman. Sure it may not have been on the sparring floor in the halls of Beacon, and outside of a select few their antics would come off as childish and annoying, but for those few brief moments they weren't Ruby Rose and Bálor moonlight, Grimm Hunters in training.

They were Ruby, the Amazing Red and Burly B.- The Vaudevillains of Remnant.

 _ **Okay, Okay, I'm totally NOT setting things up for a future BlakexBálor pairing..unless someone actually wants it-**_

 _ ***Sees pitchforks and torches rapidly approaching* Kidding! I swear to Oum I'm kidding, SunXBlake is actually great in my opinion, seriously I'm all for that ship whose name I can't remember and am too lazy to google. But that just leaves Ruby and Weiss**_

 _ **(Yang WILL get her hands on Bálor down the line and leave him unconscious in a smoldering crater of violence.)**_

 _ **Review if you want, PM if you must.**_

 _ **And have a manly day (or evening)**_


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